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

In the new study, Fernando and his colleagues used data from such seismic sensors to reconstruct the path of an orbital module that detached from China's Shenzhou 17 crew capsule and fell to Earth in April 2024. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026

As planets in our solar system orbit the sun at varying speeds, sometimes their orbital paths bring them close together on the same side of the sun. —Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Noun

This pump pulse promoted an electron from a lone pair orbital on the nitrogen atom into an anti-bonding orbital associated with the nitrogen–hydrogen bond. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Jan. 2026

That annual orbital reckoning also means the same constellations appear in the same part of the sky on the same calendar dates, providing a sense of regularity. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2026

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