stellar
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the stars; consisting of stars.
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like a star, as in brilliance, shape, etc.
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pertaining to a preeminent performer, athlete, etc.
adjective
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of, relating to, involving, or resembling a star or stars
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of or relating to star entertainers
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informal outstanding or immense
companies are registering stellar profits
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stellar
First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin stellāris, from stell(a) “star” ( see also star) + -āris -ar 1
Explanation
Meaning outstanding, wonderful, better than everything else, stellar is a word of praise or excitement. Thomas Edison invented many things, but his stellar achievement might have been the light bulb. Stellar literally means "like a star." When it comes time for your debut on Broadway, you will sure hope that the reviews say that you delivered a stellar performance. You could also use stellar to talk about actual stars, of course, or you could even blend the two: enjoy the stellar beauty of your beloved under the stellar light of a moonless night.
Vocabulary lists containing stellar
Oh, My Stars! The Language of Outer Space
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Oh, My Stars! A Solstice Sampler
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The results indicate that less detailed models may underestimate how strongly stellar radiation and complex chemical processes affect the gas surrounding galaxies.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
Elsewhere, Nathan Aspinall produced a stellar performance at Leicester's Mattioli Arena to secure his spot in the last four with a 3-0 victory over Ryan Joyce.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Micron releases a stellar fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report but the stock trades modestly lower.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
She has recorded her meditative work “The Ballerina” in several duet contexts, but here she and Mr. Hurst trade interlocking figures while Mr. Blake’s shimmering percussion provides a stellar backdrop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
In the summer of 1993, an American feature film called Searching for Bobby Fischer was released to stellar reviews.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
