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

Starship has flown 13 test flights to date, all of them suborbital. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026

The program to send tourists on short suborbital flights aboard the reusable New Shepard rocket moved slowly, with the loss of unmanned test vehicles in 2011 and 2015 before the company finally achieved a successful landing. — Jacob Weisberg, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Shepard’s successful flight was only a suborbital trip, however. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Akiyama was the 239th person to orbit Earth and 246th to cross the boundary into space (including suborbital fliers), according to the Registry of Space Travelers by the Association of Space Explorers. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026

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