geostationary

adjective

geo·​sta·​tion·​ary ˌjē-ō-ˈstā-shə-ˌner-ē 

: 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

While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. —Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 21 Nov. 2025

And, finally, geostationary orbit (GEO) holds the high ground at more than 22,300. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Nov. 2025

The lower orbit has already enabled SpaceX to deliver satellite internet speeds of 200Mbps and higher to users on the ground, and Amazon plans to do the same, as higher-orbiting geostationary satellites struggle to compete with Starlink. —PC Magazine, 13 Nov. 2025

Before the advent of low-Earth-orbit internet-beaming megaconstellations such as SpaceX's Starlink, geostationary satellites were the dominant solution for satellite communications. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for geostationary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary