suborbital

adjective

sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bə-tᵊl 

1

: situated beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye

2

: being or involving less than one orbit (as of the earth or moon)

also : intended for suborbital flight

Examples of suborbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The giant rocket has flown 11 test flights to date, all of them suborbital, so there are a lot of development boxes left to check. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 9 Feb. 2026

The suborbital New Shepard rocket is the vehicle Blue Origin uses to send groups of six passengers at a time on brief trips to the edge of space. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026

Grissom was the nation’s the second man in space, making suborbital flight of Project Mercury. —Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026

But New Mexico's role in aerospace isn't just a thing of the past, as is evident at Spaceport America—the world's first facility designed for commercial suborbital space travel. —Sharael Kolberg, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for suborbital

• infraorbital
• postorbital
• interorbital
• periorbital
• supraorbital
• orbital

Medical Definition

suborbital

adjective

sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bət-ᵊl 

: situated or occurring beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye

suborbital fat