dwarf planet
noun
: a celestial body that orbits the sun and has a spherical shape but is not large enough to disturb other objects from its orbit
Examples of dwarf planet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pluto was long considered our ninth planet, but in 2006 the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet.
—
CBS News, 4 May 2026
The dwarf planet Pluto is the largest of these TNOs, so named because they’re found beyond the orbit of Neptune.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
For two decades, controversy has surrounded the distant icy world after it was infamously stripped of its planethood and reclassified as a dwarf planet instead.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Always an oddity as a planet, Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet in 2006.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dwarf planet
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.
CBS News, 4 May 2026
The dwarf planet Pluto is the largest of these TNOs, so named because they’re found beyond the orbit of Neptune.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
For two decades, controversy has surrounded the distant icy world after it was infamously stripped of its planethood and reclassified as a dwarf planet instead.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Always an oddity as a planet, Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet in 2006.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dwarf planet
Cite this Entry
“Dwarf planet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwarf%20planet. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
