the Milky Way
noun
1
: a broad band of light that can be seen in the night sky and that is caused by the light of a very large number of faint stars
2
: the galaxy in which we live that contains the stars that make up the Milky Way
Examples of the Milky Way in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And for photographer Petr Horálek, patience was key in creating this stunning panorama of the Milky Way galaxy above the Gemini South Telescope.
—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
But best are moonless nights, when shimmering whorls of the Milky Way fill the night and desert creatures emerge to crawl and slither the dunes.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey is now used by astronomers around the world to examine the wonders of the universe — including the presence of a black hole at the center of every massive galaxy, dark-matter halos around galaxies, and dwarf companion galaxies around the Milky Way, UChicago said.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Although Arecibo’s line of sight only encompassed about a third of the entire sky, that still included most stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the Milky Way
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
But best are moonless nights, when shimmering whorls of the Milky Way fill the night and desert creatures emerge to crawl and slither the dunes.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey is now used by astronomers around the world to examine the wonders of the universe — including the presence of a black hole at the center of every massive galaxy, dark-matter halos around galaxies, and dwarf companion galaxies around the Milky Way, UChicago said.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Although Arecibo’s line of sight only encompassed about a third of the entire sky, that still included most stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the Milky Way
Cite this Entry
“The Milky Way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Milky%20Way. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
