quasar

noun

qua·​sar ˈkwā-ˌzär How to pronounce quasar (audio)
 also  -ˌsär
: a region at the center of a galaxy that produces an extremely large amount of radiation

Examples of quasar in a Sentence

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.
Stars burn like celestial nuclear fusion reactors, quasars emit thousands of times the luminosity of the Milky Way galaxy, and asteroids slam into planets. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 June 2025 Since both quasars and galaxy mergers happened far more often in the Universe’s first few billion years, the astronomers essentially had to look back in time to see them. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 21 May 2025 The best example of the heights such precision can reach may be Gaia’s tour de force determination of the solar system’s acceleration with respect to a vast, sky-encompassing field of quasars. Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 June 2025 The leading candidates included massive galaxies, quasars powered by black holes, and small, low-mass galaxies. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for quasar

Word History

Etymology

quasi-stellar

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quasar was in 1964

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quasar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quasar. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

quasar

noun
qua·​sar ˈkwā-ˌzär How to pronounce quasar (audio)
 also  -ˌsär
: any of the very distant starlike heavenly objects that give off very strong blue and ultraviolet light and powerful radio waves

More from Merriam-Webster on quasar

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!