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.
The Rubin Observatory will expand upon these previous galactic surveys, increasing the precision of the data and capturing billions more galaxies. Samantha Thompson, Space.com, 7 July 2025 The only thing better than sleeping under the stars is camping beneath the Milky Way’s glittery galactic center, and now is the best time to do that. Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 3 July 2025 But the realization that satellites can interfere with galactic observations also presents a challenge and adds to the list of threats posed by space junk. Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 30 June 2025 That may seem like a long time on a human scale, but that’s barely a tick of the galactic clock. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 26 June 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 13 Jul. 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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