terrestrial

[tuh-res-tree-uhl]

adjective

1. pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the earth as distinct from other planets.

   Synonyms: terrene
   Antonyms: celestial

2. of or relating to land as distinct from water.

3. Botany.

   1. growing on land; not aquatic.

   2. growing in the ground; not epiphytic or aerial.

4. Zoology.,  living on or in the ground; not aquatic, arboreal, or aerial.

5. of or relating to the earth or this world; worldly; mundane.

noun

1. an inhabitant of the earth, especially a human being.

terrestrial

/ təˈrɛstrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the earth

2. of or belonging to the land as opposed to the sea or air

3. (of animals and plants) living or growing on the land

4. earthly, worldly, or mundane

5. (of television signals) sent over the earth's surface from a transmitter on land, rather than by satellite

noun

1. an inhabitant of the earth

terrestrial

1. Relating to Earth or its inhabitants.

2. Relating to, living on, or growing on land.

Other Word Forms

• terrestrially adverb
• nonterrestrial adjective
• preterrestrial adjective
• superterrestrial adjective
• underterrestrial adjective
• unterrestrial adjective
• terrestrialness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of terrestrial¹

First recorded in 1450–1550; late Middle English from Latin terrestri(s) “pertaining to earth” (derivative of terra “earth”) + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of terrestrial¹

C15: from Latin terrestris, from terra earth

Synonym Study

See earthly.

Example Sentences

Fiber broadband and other terrestrial broadband options provide a “simply superior” service, Citi analysts noted, adding that the infrastructure involved also has a much longer shelf life than satellites.

Read more on MarketWatch

“We will be able to beat the cost of terrestrial data centers in space in the next couple of decades,” Amazon.com Inc.

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“We will be able to beat the cost of terrestrial data centers in space in the next couple of decades,” Bezos said at a tech conference last month.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"But some of them appear to have been terrestrial hunters in the forests."

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As a result, these worlds remained in the terrestrial zone, where Earth and its neighboring planets eventually formed.

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