terrestrial

adjective

ter·res·tri·al | \ tə-ˈre-st(r)ē-əl

; -ˈres-chəl, -ˈresh-

Definition of terrestrial

1a : of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants terrestrial magnetism

b : mundane in scope or character : prosaic

2a : of or relating to land as distinct from air or water terrestrial transportation

b(1) : living on or in or growing from land terrestrial plants terrestrial birds

(2) : of or relating to terrestrial organisms terrestrial habits

3 : belonging to the class of planets that are like the earth (as in density and silicate composition) the terrestrial planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Other Words from terrestrial Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about terrestrial

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Did You Know?

Terrestrial might be a pretty down-to-earth word, but some of its relatives are out of this world. "Terrestrial" first appeared in English in the 15th century and derives from the Latin root terra, which means "earth." In the mid-1800s "extra-" was added to "terrestrial," giving us "extraterrestrial," an adjective that can be used to describe things (including science fiction creatures) that come from space. "Terrestrial" shares the "-al" suffix with "celestial," which was first used in the 14th century. Not surprisingly, "celestial" ("of or relating to the sky or visible heavens") traces back to the Latin for sky, "caelum."

Examples of terrestrial in a Sentence

The toad has terrestrial habits, spending most of its time on shore. scientists haven't even found all the terrestrial life on our planet

Recent Examples on the Web

Release: May 24, 2019 Preliminary verdict: Looks promising Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) wants to figure out why his father's mission to find extra-terrestrial life on Neptune failed, setting the stage for the main events of Ad Astra. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "The 2019 Sci-Fi Film Guide," 3 Jan. 2019 A few months back, Edward Guinan had one of his classes experiment to see which terrestrial plants would thrive in the dense, cakey soil of Mars. — David Arky, Smithsonian, "How Do You Make Beer in Space?," 20 Mar. 2018 With 64 types of terrestrial ecosystems shaped by an unusual climate and rich geological history, Alabama's native plants number nearly 3,000 species. — Greg Garrison, AL.com, "Retired Catholic bishop battles cancer," 10 June 2017 Built for terrestrial and celestial viewing, these are the perfect bionculars to get your feet wet in astronomy. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "Start Stargazing With This Telescope Sale," 30 Aug. 2018 Favorite bromeliads These are Juliana Raposo’s top 10 recommendations for bromeliads: Aechmea blanchetiana is both a terrestrial or epiphytic bromeliad. — Karen Dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bromeliads create garden drama," 17 May 2018 The list is divided into two categories, the top 25 aquatic invasive species and the top 25 terrestrial invasive species. — Phil Drake, USA TODAY, "Feral cats listed among top invasive species in the West," 22 Mar. 2018 The accepted explanation for these aircraft was terrestrial and quaint: Some ingenious eccentric had built a device and was testing its capabilities. — Greg Eghigian, Smithsonian, "How UFO Reports Change With the Technology of the Times," 2 Feb. 2018 It had been largely thought that Sue lived in a mostly terrestrial environment. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "A New Shark Species Was Found in the Mud of Sue the T. Rex," 21 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'terrestrial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.