solar system

noun

: the sun together with the group of celestial bodies that are held by its attraction and revolve around it
also : a similar system centered on another star

Examples of solar system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Most of the lithium in our solar system and the wider Milky Way galaxy comes from classical nova explosions like V572 Velorum and V462 Lupi, according to a paper published in 2020. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 And because these space rocks are already out there, rattling through the solar system, Rubin will rack up discoveries quickly, Schwamb and her colleagues predict—with some 70 percent of new objects discovered during the survey’s first two years. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 July 2025 Using these tools, the Rubin Observatory studies faint objects in our solar system as astronomers try to study the dark matter that makes up a majority of our universe. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 26 June 2025 Rubin has already found more than 2,100 new asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth asteroids that pose no danger to our planet. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for solar system

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1704, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of solar system was circa 1704

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Cite this Entry

“Solar system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solar%20system. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

solar system

noun
: a star with the group of heavenly bodies that revolve around it
especially : the sun with the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets that orbit it

More from Merriam-Webster on solar system

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