stellar

adjective

stel·​lar ˈste-lər How to pronounce stellar (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to the stars : astral
b
: composed of stars
2
: of or relating to a theatrical or film star
stellar names
3
a
: principal, leading
a stellar role
b
: outstanding
a stellar performance

Did you know?

Stella, the Latin word for "star," shines brightly in the word constellation, but stella words have been favored by scientists to describe earthly things as much as heavenly bodies. Stellar was once used to mean "star-shaped." That use is no longer current, but today biologists and geologists might use one of these synonyms: stellular, stellate, and stelliform. Poets, too, have looked to stella. John Milton used stellar in its infancy when he wrote in Paradise Lost "these soft fires … shed down their stellar virtue." Stellar shot into its leading role as a synonym of star (as when we say "stellar pupil") in the late 1800s.

Examples of stellar in a Sentence

the rate of stellar expansion The movie has a stellar cast.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
General Manager Jeff Smith and marketing guru Gus Tejeda proved to be amiable and welcoming hosts on what must have been cause for a huge sigh of relief after so much advance planning – but the evening went down without a hitch and the food and drinks were simply stellar. David Weiss, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 Watts appeared in two campaigns last year for the Rodeo and Bel Air handbags, alongside Isabelle Huppert and Kim Kardashian, who were part of this season’s stellar runway cast. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 July 2025 More Alika Jenner/Getty Images How to Watch Storm vs Sun Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025 Time: 11:00 AM ET Channel: NBC Sports Boston Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE) Skylar Diggins was selected to her first All-Star team since 2022, marking her seventh appearance during her stellar WNBA career. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025 Hubble's image captures the glowing, ionized gas as stellar radiation produces what look like bubbles in the clouds of gas and dust, whereas Webb highlights the clumps and delicate filamentary structures of dust. ArsTechnica, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for stellar

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin stellaris, from Latin stella star — more at star

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stellar was circa 1656

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Cite this Entry

“Stellar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stellar. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

stellar

adjective
stel·​lar ˈstel-ər How to pronounce stellar (audio)
1
: of or relating to the stars
stellar light
2
a
: principal entry 1, leading
a stellar role
b
: outstanding sense 3
a stellar performance

More from Merriam-Webster on stellar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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