astronaut
noun
as·tro·naut
ˈa-strə-ˌnȯt 
-ˌnät
plural astronauts
: a person whose profession is to travel beyond the earth's atmosphere
NASA on Wednesday introduced the group of astronauts it has chosen for upcoming missions to the moon. The program, called Artemis, aims to send people back to the moon for the first time since the end of NASA's Apollo program in 1972.—
Kenneth Chang
Kenneth Chang
broadly
: any person who travels beyond the earth's atmosphere
William Shatner, the 90-year-old actor of "Star Trek" fame, endured a 10-minute, rocket-powered ride to the edge of space … . In that moment, at least one thing became certain: Yes, a nonagenarian can be an astronaut. —Jackie Wattles
Jackie Wattles 
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Trip cohorts can comprise Hollywood stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, international royalty (including British Monarchy members) and astronaut pioneers mingling with low-profile multi-millionaires and billionaires.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
And while astronauts are generally incredibly capable and talented, NASA's astronauts aren't amazing photographers by accident.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 May 2026
Compared to the the Artemis II mission, which sent four astronauts a record 252,756 miles away from Earth, the Artemis III astronauts will be staying much closer to home.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The exchange of an astronaut’s research time for a laboratory’s power supply is, in effect, a transaction.
—Tejpaul Bhatia, Fortune, 20 May 2026
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
And while astronauts are generally incredibly capable and talented, NASA's astronauts aren't amazing photographers by accident.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 May 2026
Compared to the the Artemis II mission, which sent four astronauts a record 252,756 miles away from Earth, the Artemis III astronauts will be staying much closer to home.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The exchange of an astronaut’s research time for a laboratory’s power supply is, in effect, a transaction.
—Tejpaul Bhatia, Fortune, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for astronaut
Cite this Entry
“Astronaut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astronaut. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
astronaut
noun
as·tro·naut
ˈas-trə-ˌnȯt
-nät
: a traveler in a spacecraft
astronautic
adjective
ˌas-trə-ˈnȯt-ik
or astronautical
-i-kəl,
-nät-
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