planetarium
noun
plan·e·tar·i·um
ˌpla-nə-ˈter-ē-əm 
plural planetariums or planetaria
ˌpla-nə-ˈter-ē-ə
1
: a model or representation of the solar system
2
a
: an optical device for projecting various celestial images and effects
b
: a building or room housing such a projector
Examples of planetarium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Triple timing his lyrics faster than Jay-Z and writing intergalactic lyrics tying him to Albert Einstein, relativity and the Hayden planetarium made Belafonte a smart, funny force to be reckoned with.
—
A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 25 Apr. 2023
In Oregon, that means traveling to some of our most remote stargazing locations, watching a meteor shower, attending events at local planetariums or even checking out our one official Dark Sky Park.
—oregonlive, 16 Apr. 2023
Perhaps Musser’s planetarium, like his impressive corpus of compositions for the marimba, speaks to an enduring fascination with the music of the spheres.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2023
In addition to the UNC, Chapel Hill campus, the town is also home to a wide variety of other educational facilities, such as museums, a botanical garden, and even a planetarium.
—Lynn Brown, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2023
Consider this best-friend gift the equivalent of a trip to the planetarium without having to leave their bedroom.
—Nykia Spradley, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2023
Williams said his greatest joy of being planetarium director was getting the students involved in running the planetarium with him.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
There were trips to a Pink Floyd laser light show at the local planetarium, as well as a mutual enthusiasm for classic funk and R&B, much of it picked up from the soundtracks to Quentin Tarantino classics like Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2023
The planetarium also plays host to free events, including rooftop stargazing the last Friday of the month.
—Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2023
See More
A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 25 Apr. 2023
In Oregon, that means traveling to some of our most remote stargazing locations, watching a meteor shower, attending events at local planetariums or even checking out our one official Dark Sky Park.
—oregonlive, 16 Apr. 2023
Perhaps Musser’s planetarium, like his impressive corpus of compositions for the marimba, speaks to an enduring fascination with the music of the spheres.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2023
In addition to the UNC, Chapel Hill campus, the town is also home to a wide variety of other educational facilities, such as museums, a botanical garden, and even a planetarium.
—Lynn Brown, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2023
Consider this best-friend gift the equivalent of a trip to the planetarium without having to leave their bedroom.
—Nykia Spradley, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2023
Williams said his greatest joy of being planetarium director was getting the students involved in running the planetarium with him.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
There were trips to a Pink Floyd laser light show at the local planetarium, as well as a mutual enthusiasm for classic funk and R&B, much of it picked up from the soundtracks to Quentin Tarantino classics like Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2023
The planetarium also plays host to free events, including rooftop stargazing the last Friday of the month.
—Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'planetarium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near planetarium
Cite this Entry
“Planetarium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planetarium. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
planetarium
noun
plan·e·tar·i·um
ˌplan-ə-ˈter-ē-əm
plural planetariums or planetaria
-ē-ə
1
: a device that projects images of heavenly bodies on a ceiling shaped like a dome
2
: a building or room housing a planetarium
More from Merriam-Webster on planetarium
Nglish: Translation of planetarium for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about planetarium
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