orbital

1 of 3

adjective (1)

or·​bit·​al ˈȯr-bə-tᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or forming an orbit (such as the orbit of a moon, planet, or spacecraft)

the orbital path of a satellite

The Gregorian calendar is purely based on the position of the sun as seen from Earth, and is closely related to the Earth's orbital period.

—Martin George

In October 1957, a whirling orbital ball known as Sputnik roused Americans from their slumber and set into motion a rethinking of our educational system.

—Sam Wineburg

Blue Origin is also developing a crew capsule that might carry passengers by year's end. But that capsule is intended for brief up-and-down hops, not orbital flights, by tourists.

—Marcia Dunn

2

chiefly British, of a roadway : following a circular path around an urban area

The 117-mile orbital motorway encircles London and links to Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

—Paul Harper

orbital

2 of 3

adjective (2)

: of, relating to, or located near the orbit of the eye

orbital bones

He required 23 stitches to his face and had an orbital fracture below his left eye.

—Rachel Rosenbaum

orbital

3 of 3

noun

plural orbitals

physics : a mathematically described region around a nucleus in an atom or molecule that may contain zero, one, or two electrons

Electrons arrange themselves in cloudlike regions around the nucleus called orbitals. These orbitals are designated by numbers for their energy level and letters (s, p, d, f) for their shape.

—Beth Mole

Examples of orbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This was the eighth orbital launch of the year by a Russian rocket, continuing a downward trend in launch activity for the Russian space program in recent years. —ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025

The biggest challenge to overcome will be deploying the sail once in space and using it to guide the satellite along its orbital path. —Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 11 July 2025

Noun

Astra's arrangement with the Defense Innovation Unit includes two milestones: one suborbital (point-to-point) and the other orbital, with the option to launch from a location outside the United States, as Astra is developing a mobile launcher. —Abigail Bassett, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025

Because energy is conserved, this absorption or emission will happen only if the energy corresponding to the frequency of this radiation matches the energy difference between the two orbitals involved in the transition. —IEEE Spectrum, 30 Sep. 2014

Word History

Etymology

Noun

derivative of orbital entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

circa 1541, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1932, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing orbital

• molecular orbital

Rhymes for orbital

• infraorbital
• postorbital
• suborbital
• interorbital
• periorbital
• supraorbital

Medical Definition

orbital

noun

or·​bit·​al ˈȯr-bət-ᵊl 

: a subdivision of a nuclear shell containing zero, one, or two electrons