galactic

adjective

ga·​lac·​tic gə-ˈlak-tik How to pronounce galactic (audio)
1
: of or relating to a galaxy and especially the Milky Way galaxy
2
: huge
a galactic sum of money

Examples of galactic in a Sentence

a galactic serving of soda that would have been enough for three moviegoers
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But the statistical significance could vanish with more data, and extensions of the standard model — rather than a whole new model — could also explain the galactic findings. Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025 On moonless nights, trace its arc through the Summer Triangle stars high in the southeast and down to the galactic core near the constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius in the south. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 On this ’60s show, Paul Wesley plays the captain of a starship who likes to show some skin and chew the scenery, every one of his line readings taking on galactic import. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 July 2025 There are primitive campsites available on site for those who want to stick around for the galactic show. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 26 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for galactic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin galacticus (taken as derivative of Galaxias "Milky Way"), borrowed from Greek galaktikós "milky," from galakt-, gála "milk" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at galaxy

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of galactic was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Galactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/galactic. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

galactic

adjective
ga·​lac·​tic gə-ˈlak-tik How to pronounce galactic (audio)
: of or relating to a galaxy

More from Merriam-Webster on galactic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!