dark matter

noun

: nonluminous matter not yet directly detected by astronomers that is hypothesized to exist to account for various observed gravitational effects

Examples of dark matter in a Sentence

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If the second camp was right, there needed to be so little matter, overall, that dark matter — despite the clear evidence — would be an impossibility. Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025 Gradually, dark matter particles gravitated towards the center of the galaxy. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025 And can small dark matter clumps exist without forming stars inside them? Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025 Whichever the case, the researchers are now curious to discover more characteristics of the intriguing object, including determining whether dark matter can exist in small clumps without stars. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dark matter

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dark matter was in 1933

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Cite this Entry

“Dark matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20matter. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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