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

Two, the sun rotates about the center of gravity of the solar system, and comes slightly closer to or further away from the earth for a few months at a time, increasing or decreasing the solar irradiance. —Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Often depicted in science fiction as a cosmically dramatic jump through an unknown, warped part of the solar system, wormholes, as far as astrophysicists are concerned, are just that — an object of science fiction. —Madison Dapcevich, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2025

This is something seen in our own solar system when comets from the outer region of our planetary system pass close to the sun, creating cometary tails and halos called comas. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 31 July 2025

More simply, the discovery of Ammonite indicates that the outer solar system is more diverse and complex than once thought. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2025

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