galaxy

noun

gal·​axy ˈga-lək-sē 

plural galaxies

1

a

often capitalized : milky way galaxy

—used with the

b

: any of the very large groups of stars and associated matter that are found throughout the universe

2

a

: an assemblage of brilliant or notable persons or things

a galaxy of artists

b

: world sense 11

remained galaxies apart on the issue

—Newsweek

Did you know?

The system of stars that includes our sun looks, in the night sky, like a broad band of light. We call this band the Milky Way. The idea of the whiteness of the Milky Way being similar to that of milk is much older than the English language, however. Galaxias, the Greek word for the Milky Way, was derived from the Greek gala, “milk.” English galaxy, derived from Greek galaxias, was not used until the 19th century as a generic term for other star systems as well as the one in which we live.

Synonyms

• light-year
• world

Examples of galaxy in a Sentence

The event was attended by a galaxy of artists.

they're a galaxy apart when it comes to politics

Recent Examples on the Web

Active galactic nuclei are supermassive black holes that release bright jets of material and high winds that can shape the very galaxies where they are found. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Sep. 2024

With only the wise-cracking Maxim to keep him company, the last man in the universe decides to cross the cosmic void to save the galaxy’s last woman. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024

However, as researchers in a 2022 article published in the journal Symmetry have noted, real galaxies are imperfect and disordered, and won’t always perfectly align with golden spirals and ratios. —Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024

During its nearly 15-year run, NEOWISE observed the cosmos at infrared wavelengths and collected data on more than 740 million objects, including stars, galaxies and potentially hazardous asteroids, according to a statement from CalTech. —Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English galaxias, galaxie, borrowed from Late Latin galaxias, borrowed from Greek galaxías (probably originally conjoined with kýklos "wheel"), from galakt-, stem of gála "milk" (going back to Indo-European *glkt-, attested elsewhere only in Latin lact-, lac "milk," Armenian kat'n) + -ias, noun suffix, especially of natural phenomena

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing galaxy

• elliptical galaxy
• Milky Way galaxy
• radio galaxy
• satellite galaxy
• Seyfert galaxy
• spiral galaxy

Kids Definition

galaxy

noun

gal·​axy ˈgal-ək-sē 

plural galaxies

1

: milky way galaxy

2

: one of the very large groups of stars and other matter that are found throughout the universe

Etymology

Middle English galaxie "the Milky Way," from Latin galaxias (same meaning), from Greek galaxias "Milky Way," from galakt-, gala "milk"