planetary

adjective

plan·​e·​tary ˈpla-nə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce planetary (audio)
Synonyms of planetarynext
1
a
: of, relating to, being, or resembling a planet
c
: having a motion like that of a planet
planetary electrons
d
: immense
the scope of this project has reached planetary proportions
2
a
: of, relating to, or belonging to the earth : terrestrial
b
: global, worldwide
planetary politics
3
: having or consisting of an epicyclic train of gear wheels

Examples of planetary in a Sentence

a positively planetary new shopping development
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.
Exciting and futile The Humans to Titan Summit was both exciting and futile, said Pascal Lee, chairman of the Mars Institute and a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute. Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2026 Mann and his colleagues have shown an uptick in the frequency of such stuck jet stream patterns, known as planetary resonance events, in recent decades. Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 1 July 2026 The closest planetary neighbors—Mercury, Venus, and possibly even Earth—will be destroyed in the resultant collateral damage. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026 Population growth and climate change can be solved only by either catastrophic population decline—pandemic, natural disaster, thermonuclear war—or cooperation on a planetary scale. Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for planetary

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of planetary was in 1607

Cite this Entry

“Planetary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planetary. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

planetary

adjective
plan·​e·​tary ˈplan-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce planetary (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to a planet
b
: having a motion like that of a planet
planetary electrons of the atomic nucleus
2
: worldwide, global
a matter of planetary concern

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