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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
Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2025
Each year, June's full moon treads a predictably low path across the spring sky due to its close proximity to the summer solstice — the time of the year when the sun is at its highest.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 7 June 2025
In rare moments, the Strawberry Moon can occur at the same time as the summer solstice.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 5 June 2025
Since the sun is so high, the closest full moon to the summer solstice is often the farthest away from the sun and therefore appears large and low in the sky.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Solstice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solstice. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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solstice
noun
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