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’s because every spacecraft orbiting the star, along with every planet in our solar system, swoops around the sun in a flat disk called the ecliptic plane, which is tilted just 7.25 degrees relative to the sun’s equatorial plane. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2025

By March 2025, the spacecraft had achieved a 17 degrees inclination to the ecliptic, enabling direct observations of the sun’s south pole. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

Noun

This is because the planets all lie close to the ecliptic, which is the plane defined by the Earth's orbit, and most spacecraft remain within about seven degrees of it. —David Szondy june 15, New Atlas, 15 June 2025

When To See June’s ‘Strawberry Moon,’ The Lowest Full Moon Since 2006 Understanding The Moon’s Orbit Around Earth Earth's axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees with respect to the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the daytime sky, and, in effect, the plane of the solar system. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025

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