solar system

noun

: 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

Examples of solar system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The debris trail that causes the Perseids comes from the comet Swift-Tuttle, which passes through this part of our solar system about every 130 years and was last seen in 1992. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026

Rising adoption of rooftop and distributed solar systems in South Africa is reducing national grid demand, squeezing utilities’ revenues and prompting interest in diversification. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Next, Voyager 1 was directed to fly above the plane of the solar system (also known as the ecliptic) while Voyager 2 continued flying past Uranus and Neptune, becoming the first spacecraft to see these worlds and their moons. — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026

In 2017, the object flew into our solar system, whipped around the sun like a comet, and flew back out. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1704, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for solar system

• cryptosystem
• ecosystem
• intersystem
• multisystem
• photosystem
• subsystem

Kids Definition

solar system

noun

: a star with the group of heavenly bodies that revolve around it

especially : the sun with the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets that orbit it