: being or having an equatorial orbit at an altitude of about 22,300 miles (35,900 kilometers) requiring an angular velocity the same as that of the earth so that the position of a satellite in such an orbit is fixed with respect to the earth

Examples of geostationary in a Sentence

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.
Most of this activity has taken place in geostationary orbit, which lies 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Sign up for the newsletter Originally, NOAA was planning to have three geostationary satellites operating simultaneously, one over the Eastern US, one above the Central US and another above the West. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026 Five of its 248 Boeing 767, 777, and 787 aircraft have received this upgrade, with the remainder relying on older, slower systems that connect to satellites in geostationary Earth orbit. — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 Truong compares the platform to a geostationary satellite that is 1,800 times closer and much cheaper, though the company hasn't offered figures to check that. — New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for geostationary

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of geostationary was in 1961

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Geostationary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geostationary. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster