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terrestrial

[ tuh-res-tree-uhl ]
/ tÉ™Ėˆrɛs tri əl /
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adjective
pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the earth as distinct from other planets.
of or relating to land as distinct from water.
Botany.
  1. growing on land; not aquatic.
  2. growing in the ground; not epiphytic or aerial.
Zoology. living on or in the ground; not aquatic, arboreal, or aerial.
of or relating to the earth or this world; worldly; mundane.
noun
an inhabitant of the earth, especially a human being.
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Origin of terrestrial

First recorded in 1450–1550; late Middle English from Latin terrestri(s) ā€œpertaining to earthā€ (derivative of terra ā€œearthā€) + -al1

synonym study for terrestrial

1. See earthly.

OTHER WORDS FROM terrestrial

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use terrestrial in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for terrestrial

terrestrial
/ (tÉ™ĖˆrɛstrÉŖÉ™l) /

adjective
of or relating to the earth
of or belonging to the land as opposed to the sea or air
(of animals and plants) living or growing on the land
earthly, worldly, or mundane
(of television signals) sent over the earth's surface from a transmitter on land, rather than by satellite
noun
an inhabitant of the earth

Derived forms of terrestrial

terrestrially, adverbterrestrialness, noun

Word Origin for terrestrial

C15: from Latin terrestris, from terra earth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for terrestrial

terrestrial
[ tə-rĕs′trē-əl ]

Relating to Earth or its inhabitants.
Relating to, living on, or growing on land.
The American HeritageĀ® Science Dictionary Copyright Ā© 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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