synodic

adjective

syn·​od·​ic sə-ˈnä-dik How to pronounce synodic (audio)
variants or synodical
1
: of or relating to a synod : synodal
2
usually synodic [Greek synodikos, from synodos meeting, conjunction] : relating to conjunction
especially : relating to the period between two successive conjunctions of the same celestial bodies (such as the moon and the sun)

Examples of synodic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On Tuesday, April 11, the Sun and Jupiter form an exact alignment, which is an annual occurrence that marks the beginning of Jupiter’s synodic cycle. Kirah Tabourn, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2023 This astrological event is inspiring self-love and new heights of awareness Love planet Venus will form an exact conjunction with the sun on June 4, marking the end of one synodic cycle and the beginning of another. Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024 This prograde-to-retrograde cycle is known as a synodic period, and Mercury takes roughly 115 days to complete it. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 Aug. 2023 Researchers have long believed this calendar was associated with planetary movements, especially the synodic periods—when a planet appears visually to return to the same location in the sky, as seen from Earth—of key planets. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 21 Apr. 2023 With a 780-day synodic period, 21 periods match exactly to 16,380, or 20 cycles of 819. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 21 Apr. 2023 Mercury was always the starting point for the tricky timeline because its synodic period—117 days—matches nicely into 819. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 21 Apr. 2023 These rotations are called the synodic cycles of the planets—their cycles relative to the sun. Tony Freeth, Scientific American, 15 Dec. 2021 This writing is a formulaic list of the synodic events of each planet (such as its conjunctions with the sun and its stationary points) and the intervals in days between them. Tony Freeth, Scientific American, 15 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'synodic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of synodic was in 1561

Dictionary Entries Near synodic

Cite this Entry

“Synodic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synodic. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

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