ecliptic

1 of 2

adjective

eclip·​tic i-ˈklip-tik 

: of or relating to the ecliptic or an eclipse

ecliptic

2 of 2

noun

: the great circle of the celestial sphere that is the apparent path of the sun among the stars or of the earth as seen from the sun : the plane of the earth's orbit extended to meet the celestial sphere

Examples of ecliptic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That means the moon must cross the ecliptic twice each orbit. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

The planets will trace the ecliptic plane, an imaginary line in the sky that marks the sun’s path. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 8 June 2026

Noun

Still, this doesn’t happen every day; an eclipse takes place when a new or full moon occurs close to one of the lunar nodes, where the moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

The moon’s orbital path around Earth is slightly tilted with respect to the ecliptic — the path of the sun through our sky. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English ekliptik, borrowed from Latin eclīpticus, borrowed from Greek ekleiptikós, from ekleípein "to be obscured (of a celestial body)" + -t-, verbal adjective ending + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at eclipse entry 1

Noun

Middle English ekliptik, borrowed from Medieval Latin eclīptica (short for eclīptica līnea "ecliptic line"), from feminine of Latin eclīpticus ecliptic entry 1; so called because eclipses occur on or near the ecliptic

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ecliptic

• elliptic
• apocalyptic
• cryptic
• diptych
• styptic
• triptych
• tryptic

Kids Definition

ecliptic

noun

eclip·​tic

i-ˈklip-tik

: the great circle of the celestial sphere on which the sun appears to move among the stars