supernova

noun

su·​per·​no·​va ˌsü-pər-ˈnō-və 

plural supernovas or supernovae

1

: the explosion of a star in which the star may reach a maximum intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun

2

: one that explodes into prominence or popularity

also : superstar

Did you know?

A nova, despite its name, isn't actually a "new" star, but rather one that wasn't noticed until it exploded, when it may increase in brightness by a million times before returning to its previous state a few days later. A supernova is far larger; a star in its supernova state may emit a billion times as much light as previously. After a few weeks it begins to dim, until it eventually ceases to exist; it's often replaced by a black hole. (Though remains that were shot out into space may survive; those of a great supernova seen in A.D. 1054 are now known as the Crab Nebula.) All this may serve as a warning to those human stars whose fame explodes too rapidly; supernovas of this kind have sometimes vanished by the following year.

Synonyms of supernova

• success
• hit
• blockbuster
• winner

Examples of supernova in a Sentence

tragically, a shoulder injury cut short the pitching career of one of baseball's brightest supernovas

Recent Examples on the Web

The final collapse results in a supernova explosion and creates a neutron star with a mass between one and two times that of the sun. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026

If Chicago had not gone full supernova on Sunday, Baltimore’s offense would be the biggest fantasy story. — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Over the course of its five-year mission, the Roman telescope will capture images of the Milky Way, survey the entire sky and observe supernova explosions that occurred as far as 8 billion years ago. — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026

Amazingly, all this energy from the supernova is only a small fraction (about 1 percent) of the total that’s emitted! — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for supernova

• villanova
• jehovah
• nova
• ova

Kids Definition

supernova

noun

su·​per·​no·​va ˌsü-pər-ˈnō-və 

: the explosion of a very large star in which the star temporarily gives off up to one billion times more energy than the sun