Definition of PRECESSION

Examples of precession in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Thanks to Earth's precession, or its cyclical 26,000-year wobble, that role is now played by Polaris. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Satellite Discovers 'Second Earth'," 8 Jan. 2020 Lescarbault’s sightings were never confirmed, and the perihelion precession of Mercury remained a puzzle for nearly six more decades. — Quanta Magazine, "Troubled Times for Alternatives to Einstein’s Theory of Gravity," 30 Apr. 2018 Lescarbault’s sightings were never confirmed, and the perihelion precession of Mercury remained a puzzle for nearly six more decades. — Quanta Magazine, "Troubled Times for Alternatives to Einstein’s Theory of Gravity," 30 Apr. 2018 All other planets orbit the sun in perfect accord with Isaac Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation, but Mercury appeared to advance a tiny amount with each orbit, a phenomenon known as perihelion precession. — Quanta Magazine, "Troubled Times for Alternatives to Einstein’s Theory of Gravity," 30 Apr. 2018 Lescarbault’s sightings were never confirmed, and the perihelion precession of Mercury remained a puzzle for nearly six more decades. — Quanta Magazine, "Troubled Times for Alternatives to Einstein’s Theory of Gravity," 30 Apr. 2018 All other planets orbit the sun in perfect accord with Isaac Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation, but Mercury appeared to advance a tiny amount with each orbit, a phenomenon known as perihelion precession. — Quanta Magazine, "Troubled Times for Alternatives to Einstein’s Theory of Gravity," 30 Apr. 2018 All other planets orbit the sun in perfect accord with Isaac Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation, but Mercury appeared to advance a tiny amount with each orbit, a phenomenon known as perihelion precession. — Quanta Magazine, "Troubled Times for Alternatives to Einstein’s Theory of Gravity," 30 Apr. 2018 All other planets orbit the sun in perfect accord with Isaac Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation, but Mercury appeared to advance a tiny amount with each orbit, a phenomenon known as perihelion precession. — Quanta Magazine, "Troubled Times for Alternatives to Einstein’s Theory of Gravity," 30 Apr. 2018

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Learn More about precession

Dictionary Entries near precession

precession of the equinoxes

pre-Chellean

prechelonian

Statistics for precession

Last Updated

18 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Precession.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precession. Accessed 27 January 2020.