galactic

adjective

ga·​lac·​tic gə-ˈlak-tik How to pronounce galactic (audio)
1
: of or relating to a galaxy and especially the Milky Way galaxy
2
: huge
a galactic sum of money

Examples of galactic in a Sentence

a galactic serving of soda that would have been enough for three moviegoers
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
On Mars, long-term exposure to galactic cosmic rays poses another challenge. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025 The left three stars of the 5 star formation will form a pointer, with Alpha Cassiopeiae, or Shedar as its tip, guiding you to our galactic neighbor. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025 That sounds a lot like Cassian Andor, the mercenary orphan turned galactic hero at the heart of two seasons of Andor on Disney+. Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025 The old globular clusters found in the Milky Way, the ones that haven’t formed new stars in 10 billion years or more, have as little as 1% of the heavy elements found in the Sun, but the ones closest to the galactic center have up to 22% of the heavy elements found in the Sun. Big Think, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for galactic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin galacticus (taken as derivative of Galaxias "Milky Way"), borrowed from Greek galaktikós "milky," from galakt-, gála "milk" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at galaxy

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of galactic was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Galactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/galactic. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

galactic

adjective
ga·​lac·​tic gə-ˈlak-tik How to pronounce galactic (audio)
: of or relating to a galaxy

More from Merriam-Webster on galactic

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