extraterrestrial

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​tra·​ter·​res·​tri·​al ˌek-strə-tə-ˈre-strē-əl 

-ˈres-chəl, 

-ˈresh-chəl

: originating, existing, or occurring outside the earth or its atmosphere

extraterrestrial life

extraterrestrial

2 of 2

noun

: a being from another world : an extraterrestrial being

Examples of extraterrestrial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But is manifesting a technology that could result in the end of humankind equally as exhilarating for top engineering talent as extraterrestrial exploration? — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

The latest addition to the Sky Railway lineup is The Stargazer, a cosmic trip that leads travelers below New Mexico’s notoriously dark skies and leans into the landscape’s extraterrestrial mystery. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026

Noun

Astrobiologists consider a planet’s age when searching for extraterrestrials. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026

There, the discovery of a spacecraft and additional extraterrestrials transforms their chase into a simple struggle for survival, as what began as a series of understandable misjudgments spirals into a tragedy of cosmic scale. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1848, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for extraterrestrial

• estriol
• terrestrial

Kids Definition

extraterrestrial

adjective

ex·​tra·​ter·​res·​tri·​al

ˌek-strə-tə-ˈres-trē-əl

: coming from or existing outside the earth or its atmosphere

extraterrestrial life

extraterrestrial noun