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
: a being from another world : an extraterrestrial being
Examples of extraterrestrial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
The results feel both extraterrestrial and natural, like giant spores.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Loeb has long had a preoccupation with extraterrestrials – even co-founding the Galileo Project, a research program at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics dedicated to the search for alien life.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extraterrestrial
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.
Adjective
Having exhausted our terrestrial destination, humanity is now reaching for extraterrestrial ones.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
The results feel both extraterrestrial and natural, like giant spores.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
From microbial fossils on Mars to interstellar comets to mysterious signals in deep space, there is a timeless curiosity around extraterrestrials.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Loeb has long had a preoccupation with extraterrestrials – even co-founding the Galileo Project, a research program at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics dedicated to the search for alien life.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extraterrestrial
Cite this Entry
“Extraterrestrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extraterrestrial. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share