interplanetary

adjective

in·​ter·​plan·​e·​tary ˌin-tər-ˈpla-nə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce interplanetary (audio)
: existing, carried on, or operating between planets
interplanetary dust
an interplanetary flight
interplanetary spacecraft

Examples of interplanetary 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.
That means the road to success likely will have any number of dead ends, detours, and potholes—a familiar path SpaceX seems to be following with its super-sized, 400-foot- tall Starship rocket, designed to support interplanetary travel. Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 That includes satellite constellation deployments, cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station and interplanetary missions. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 July 2025 Built to carry the kind of high-capacity payloads DAF is hoping to have delivered as a part of the RCV program, Starship is central to SpaceX’s commitments to NASA, the Department of Defense, and the company's long-term vision to make human life interplanetary. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 7 July 2025 Its Lunar Mission #2 (scheduled to launch on Astrobotic’s Griffin lander later this year) is bringing Indigenous worldviews and perspectives into the interplanetary species conversation, while challenging the extractive, competitive models of space and governance. Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for interplanetary

Word History

First Known Use

1691, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interplanetary was in 1691

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Cite this Entry

“Interplanetary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interplanetary. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

interplanetary

adjective
in·​ter·​plan·​e·​tary
ˌint-ər-ˈplan-ə-ˌter-ē
: between planets
interplanetary space
interplanetary travel

More from Merriam-Webster on interplanetary

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