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

Across the three hearings, several witnesses – including journalists and high-ranking military members – have testified under oath about shadowy military programs to retrieve and study not only interstellar alien craft, but the extraterrestrial pilots themselves. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025

The Defense Department's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) emphasized that no evidence of extraterrestrial technology or advanced foreign capabilities has been found. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025

Noun

However, the actress is too afraid of the series' menacing extraterrestrials to watch the show alone. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025

The rum’s namesake, the kraken, shares some similarities with aliens and extraterrestrials. —Jeanette Hurt, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

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