solar system

noun

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of solar system

: the sun together with the group of celestial bodies that are held by its attraction and revolve around it; also : a similar system centered on another star

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Recent Examples of solar system from the Web

In the study, a research team found that the Almahata Sitta meteorite once belonged to a protoplanet, one of tens of early worlds that experienced impacts and buildups to ultimately create the rocky planets in our solar system.

— doris elin salazar, Scientific American, "Diamonds in Meteorite May Come from a Lost Planet," 18 Apr. 2018
Thirty years ago, astronomers knew of only nine (now eight) planets—those which comprise our solar system.

— robbie gonzalez, WIRED, "NASA’s New Exoplanet Satellite Has a Better Shot of Finding Life Close to Home," 17 Apr. 2018
Those could be the best candidates for supporting life outside our solar system.

— ashley strickland, CNN, "NASA's planet-hunting satellite TESS launches today," 16 Apr. 2018
Scientists expect Tess to find thousands of exoplanets — the term for planets outside our solar system.

— marcia dunn, OrlandoSentinel.com, "NASA's new planet hunter set to launch from Cape Canaveral on Monday," 12 Apr. 2018
Its two-year mission is to look for exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, particularly those that might be able to support life.

— elise takahama, BostonGlobe.com, "MIT satellite is off to search for planets outside our solar system," 12 Apr. 2018
In a unique depiction of the solar system, Enfield High School senior Alyssa Nyers used a leftover table from wood shop, black paint, broken glass, and a small globe to represent the moon, stars, sun, and Earth.

— manon l. mirabelli, Courant Community, "Annual High School Arts Festival Held," 4 Apr. 2018
The all-in cost of a typical rooftop solar system fell by 61% between 2010 and 2017 to $2.80 per watt, or roughly $16,000 for the average home system, according to the federal government.

— russell gold, WSJ, "Home Solar Dims as Tesla, Others Curb Aggressive Sales," 4 Apr. 2018
Each home will come with SunPower solar system, ranging from 3 to 5 kilowatts, which can generate up to 8,000 kilowatt hours based on home orientation, which estimates suggest will cover 80 percent or more of a home’s energy usage.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "How California builders are adapting to state’s super-strict energy mandates," 23 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'solar system.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of solar system

circa 1704

SOLAR SYSTEM Defined for English Language Learners

solar system

noun

Definition of solar system for English Language Learners

the solar system : our sun and the planets that move around it
: a star other than our sun and the planets that move around it

SOLAR SYSTEM Defined for Kids

solar system

noun

Definition of solar system for Students

: the sun and the planets, asteroids, comets, and meteors that revolve around it

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Britannica English: Translation of solar system for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about solar system

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solar system

Definition of solar system

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SOLAR SYSTEM Defined for English Language Learners

solar system

Definition of solar system for English Language Learners

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solar system

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