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.
Existing theories of satellite formation offer several possible answers, but recent research into stellar magnetic fields suggests that some of those ideas may need to be reconsidered.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
The race on 1 August - which will replace the 1500m - will see a stellar line-up go head-to-head over the distance made famous by Sir Roger Bannister.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
A splash of chicken stock is used to make the baby bok choy, courtesy of this stellar recipe from NYT Cooking.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
A son of Moroccan immigrants, Mr. Eisenkot rose through stellar performance at every level to become chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Shapley had found a stellar standard candle, a star noticeable because of its variability, but which had always the same average intrinsic brightness.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
