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In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice usually occurs on June 20 or 21 and the winter solstice on December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed, the solstices are exactly the opposite. For several days around the time of the solstices, the sun's appearance on the horizon at sunrise and sunset seems to occur at the same spot, before it starts drifting to the north or south again. Solstice gets its shine from sol, the Latin word for "sun." The ancients added sol to -stit- (a participial stem of sistere, which means "to stand still") and came up with solstitium. Middle English speakers shortened solstitium to solstice in the 14th century.
Examples of solstice in a Sentence
Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2026
The city, also known as Barrow, is located along the Arctic Ocean, which provides dramatic adjustments in daylight throughout the year, with nonstop sunshine around the summer solstice to weeks of darkness in winter, according to AccuWeather.
—Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
The display is best between the summer solstice and mid-July, according to Pennsylvania Wilds.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026
The May new moon also provides a longer window for viewing the deep sky wonder compared to the June new moon, which occurs close to the summer solstice, when twilight eats further into the dark of night.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Solstice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solstice. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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solstice
noun
