extraterrestrial

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​tra·​ter·​res·​tri·​al ˌek-strə-tə-ˈre-strē-əl How to pronounce extraterrestrial (audio)
-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
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Adjective
And so did scientists involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 4 June 2026 While the existence of extraterrestrial life remains unconfirmed, Moxley and Ricciardi point to the history of invasive species on Earth that serves as a warning. Leonard David, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Noun
Crucially, Ngai says, the term for extraterrestrials flowed from the word for foreigners, not the other way around. Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 June 2026 The webpage equates undocumented immigrants with extraterrestrials. Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for extraterrestrial

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1848, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of extraterrestrial was in 1848

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Cite this Entry

“Extraterrestrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extraterrestrial. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

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

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