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
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Earth's natural satellite will also be nearing its new moon phase around this time, providing a nice dark sky in which to spot the fleeting interplanetary visitors. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025 One of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starships exploded during a routine test late Wednesday in Texas, law enforcement said, in the latest setback to the billionaire’s dream of turning humanity into an interplanetary species. Afp, Fortune, 19 June 2025 This thought has come to mind a lot lately, as much has been made of the political wranglings of Earth’s richest technocrats, whose ambitions range from lower taxes to interplanetary colonization. Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2025 Going nuclear The interplanetary transportation architectures envisioned by NASA and SpaceX will, at least initially, primarily use chemical propulsion for the cruise between Earth and Mars. Stephen Clark – Jun 3, ArsTechnica, 3 June 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 28 Jun. 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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