Definition of satellite
1 : a hired agent or obsequious follower : minion, sycophant
2a : a celestial body orbiting another of larger sizeb : a manufactured object or vehicle intended to orbit the earth, the moon, or another celestial body
3 : someone or something attendant, subordinate, or dependent; especially : a country politically and economically dominated or controlled by another more powerful country
4 : a usually independent urban community situated near but not immediately adjacent to a large city
satellite
adjectiveExplore M-W
Examples of satellite in a Sentence
Satellites help meteorologists predict the weather.
Images of the planet are sent by satellite.
Recent Examples of satellite from the Web
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX is rocketing up satellites for a spacebound network that might begin to deliver better internet speeds than a standard cable line in two years.
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But that moniker actually refers to the troubadour-championing Sirius XM satellite radio show sponsoring their joint concert trek.
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Geospatial Intelligence, or GEOINT, includes imagery, like a high-resolution satellite photos of troop movements in another country.
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The moon dust is the first sample of Earth's satellite ever collected.
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Along the way, viewers might see anything from geodesic domes to disappearing sand castles to human zoo satellites.
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The judges cover cases in Boise and at satellite courts in Pocatello and Coeur d’Alene.
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But however popular Holland’s Spidey may be, Sony isn’t interested merely in owning a satellite member of The Avengers.
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Instead, they were alerted to the launch per standard procedure by the early warning SBIRS satellite and cued by tracking radar on Wake Island in the Pacific and an X-band precision radar floating in the Pacific on a platform.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'satellite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of satellite
Middle French, from Latin satellit-, satelles attendant
SATELLITE Defined for English Language Learners
satellite
playDefinition of satellite for English Language Learners
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: an object (such as a moon) that moves around a much larger planet
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: a machine that is sent into space and that moves around the earth, moon, sun, or a planet
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: a country, organization, etc., that is controlled by a larger and more powerful country, organization, etc.
SATELLITE Defined for Kids
satellite
playDefinition of satellite for Students
1 : a smaller body that revolves around a planet
2 : an object or vehicle sent out from the earth to revolve around the earth, moon, sun, or a planet
Medical Dictionary
satellite
playMedical Definition of satellite
1: a short segment separated from the main body of a chromosome by a constriction—called also trabant
2: the secondary or later member of a chain of gregarines
3: a bodily structure lying near or associated with another (as a vein accompanying an artery)
4: a smaller lesion accompanying a main one and situated nearby
5: a spectral line of low intensity having a frequency close to that of another stronger line to which it is closely related (as by having a common energy level)
satellite
adjectiveLearn More about satellite
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See words that rhyme with satellite Spanish Central: Translation of satellite Nglish: Translation of satellite for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of satellite for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about satellite
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