1
a(1)
: the apparent surface of the heavens of which half forms the dome of the visible sky
(2)
: any of the concentric and eccentric revolving spherical transparent shells in which according to ancient astronomy stars, sun, planets, and moon are set
b
: a globe depicting such a sphere
broadly
: globe sense a
2
a
: a globular body : ball
c(1)
: a solid that is bounded by a surface consisting of all points at a given distance from a point constituting its center see Volume Formulas Table
(2)
: the bounding surface of a sphere
3
: natural, normal, or proper place
especially
: social order or rank
not in the same sphere as his moneyed friends
4
a
obsolete
: orbit
b
: an area or range over or within which someone or something acts, exists, or has influence or significance
the public sphere
sphered; sphering
ˌsfir
1
: zone, layer or region enveloping or radiating from the earth or another celestial body
ionosphere
magnetosphere
2
: collectivity : totality (as specified by the initial element)
biosphere
blogosphere
Synonyms
Examples of sphere in a Sentence
Noun
All points on a sphere are the same distance from the center.
Women at that time were confined to the domestic sphere.
They recognize that jobs in the public sphere are valuable.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
No matter how controversial the research that supports them, such answers raise a field’s profile in the public sphere dramatically.
—Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024
Some in Europe and the United States openly yearn for a more explicitly Christian political sphere.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Take in your surroundings through the massive 5-cm thick acrylic sphere that encloses the cockpit.
—Jeff Hemmel, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2024
All of this existed in a separate sphere from the work itself.
—Kara Panzer, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024
The show went off the air in 2009, but the brothers continue in the acting sphere.
—Lisa Raphael, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Who Sat by the Door (1973) and Melvin Van Peebles’ absurdist comedy Watermelon Man (1970) delivered tart but clear-eyed observations about race, the effects of capitalism in the cultural sphere and the influence of white supremacy on interpersonal relationships.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
This amazing new generation of computers will have an unimaginable amount of computational power that will bring a multitude of innovations to not only the tech sphere, but also other areas like biology, medicine, climate research and more.
—Matthias Pfau, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
CBS News, 1 Jan. 2023
And young people are innovating outside that sphere as well, including Southern-gothic singer-songwriter Ethel Cain and art-rockers Geese.
—Vulture, 6 June 2022
One is to look at the long-term, dangerous, even potential catastrophic impacts of climate change as an existential security threat that justifies the sorts of actions outside the security sphere that will be necessary to avoid those impacts.
—Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2010
But with those four, Grande was able to establish her credibility in the fragrance sphere early in her music career.
—Emily Jensen, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 Nov. 2022
Check out the velvet sphere from CB2 or Athena Calderone’s shearling spherical pillow from Crate & Barrel.
—Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2022
Sixty-five years ago, a metal sphere the size of a basketball caught the U.S. science, military and intelligence communities by surprise.
—Jonathan Osborne, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2022
Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte came out in 2003, and by the late 2000s, the fall trend had trickled from the novelty coffee drinks sphere into the beer world.
—Emma Balter, Chron, 10 Oct. 2022
Silver and Spellman have both have put their stamps on the comic book sphere in different ways.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Oct. 2022
Noun
The killings took place at a pivotal moment for domestic violence in California and the United States, catapulting what had long been considered a private problem into the public sphere.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
No matter how controversial the research that supports them, such answers raise a field’s profile in the public sphere dramatically.
—Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024
Some in Europe and the United States openly yearn for a more explicitly Christian political sphere.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Take in your surroundings through the massive 5-cm thick acrylic sphere that encloses the cockpit.
—Jeff Hemmel, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2024
All of this existed in a separate sphere from the work itself.
—Kara Panzer, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024
The show went off the air in 2009, but the brothers continue in the acting sphere.
—Lisa Raphael, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Who Sat by the Door (1973) and Melvin Van Peebles’ absurdist comedy Watermelon Man (1970) delivered tart but clear-eyed observations about race, the effects of capitalism in the cultural sphere and the influence of white supremacy on interpersonal relationships.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
This amazing new generation of computers will have an unimaginable amount of computational power that will bring a multitude of innovations to not only the tech sphere, but also other areas like biology, medicine, climate research and more.
—Matthias Pfau, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
The night culminated with a countdown as a glowing geodesic sphere 12 feet in diameter and weighing almost six tons descended from its lofty perch atop One Times Square.
—CBS News, 1 Jan. 2023
And young people are innovating outside that sphere as well, including Southern-gothic singer-songwriter Ethel Cain and art-rockers Geese.
—Vulture, 6 June 2022
One is to look at the long-term, dangerous, even potential catastrophic impacts of climate change as an existential security threat that justifies the sorts of actions outside the security sphere that will be necessary to avoid those impacts.
—Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2010
But with those four, Grande was able to establish her credibility in the fragrance sphere early in her music career.
—Emily Jensen, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 Nov. 2022
Check out the velvet sphere from CB2 or Athena Calderone’s shearling spherical pillow from Crate & Barrel.
—Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2022
Sixty-five years ago, a metal sphere the size of a basketball caught the U.S. science, military and intelligence communities by surprise.
—Jonathan Osborne, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2022
Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte came out in 2003, and by the late 2000s, the fall trend had trickled from the novelty coffee drinks sphere into the beer world.
—Emma Balter, Chron, 10 Oct. 2022
Silver and Spellman have both have put their stamps on the comic book sphere in different ways.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Oct. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sphere.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sphere
Cite this Entry
“Sphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sphere. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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