satellite

noun

sat·​el·​lite ˈsa-tə-ˌlīt How to pronounce satellite (audio)
1
a
: a celestial body orbiting another of larger size
b
: a manufactured object or vehicle intended to orbit the earth, the moon, or another celestial body
2
: someone or something attendant, subordinate, or dependent
especially : a country politically and economically dominated or controlled by another more powerful country
3
: a usually independent urban community situated near but not immediately adjacent to a large city
4
5
: a hired agent or obsequious follower : minion, sycophant
satellite adjective

Examples of satellite in a Sentence

Satellites help meteorologists predict the weather. Images of the planet are sent by satellite.
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.
The report documented hundreds of instances where balloons, birds and satellites were mistakenly identified, along with a few cases that remain puzzling—such as a close encounter between a commercial airliner and an unidentified object off the New York coast. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025 Forecast skill has advanced over time due to more powerful computers, advanced radar systems, satellites, field campaigns, and scientific research. Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025 The agreement also grants Prospect permission from the state’s Office of Health Strategy, or OHS, to terminate Rockville’s status as a full-service acute care hospital and convert it into a satellite campus of Manchester Memorial Hospital, located 20 minutes away. Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025 Dust outbreaks are next-to-impossible to predict months in advance, but satellite observations of growing plumes can give forecasters a heads-up a couple weeks before the dust reaches the primary hurricane development region off the coast of Africa. Colin Zarzycki, The Conversation, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for satellite

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin satellit-, satelles attendant

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Time Traveler
The first known use of satellite was circa 1520

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Cite this Entry

“Satellite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/satellite. Accessed 31 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

satellite

noun
sat·​el·​lite ˈsat-ᵊl-ˌīt How to pronounce satellite (audio)
1
: an obsequious follower of a distinguished person : toady
2
a
: a heavenly body orbiting another of larger size
b
: a man-made object or vehicle intended to orbit the earth, the moon, or another heavenly body
3
: a country controlled by a more powerful country
satellite adjective
Etymology

from early French satellite "a person who follows or escorts someone of importance," from Latin satellit-, satelles "escort, attendant"

Word Origin
Although it is now closely connected with the modern world of space exploration, satellite is actually a very old word. Its origin can be traced to the Latin word satelles, meaning "one who escorts or follows after an important person." This is also the original meaning of satellite in English. Because such heavenly bodies as the moon can be thought of as "escorts" of the planets they orbit, they also became known as satellites. The satellites of modern times made by humans got their name because they, like the moon, orbit the earth.

Medical Definition

satellite

noun
sat·​el·​lite ˈsat-ᵊl-ˌīt How to pronounce satellite (audio)
1
: a short segment separated from the main body of a chromosome by a constriction

called also trabant

2
: the secondary or later member of a chain of gregarines
3
: a bodily structure lying near or associated with another (as a vein accompanying an artery)
4
: a smaller lesion accompanying a main one and situated nearby
5
: a spectral line of low intensity having a frequency close to that of another stronger line to which it is closely related (as by having a common energy level)
satellite adjective
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