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Stella, the Latin word for "star," shines brightly in the word constellation, but stella words have been favored by scientists to describe earthly things as much as heavenly bodies. Stellar was once used to mean "star-shaped." That use is no longer current, but today biologists and geologists might use one of these synonyms: stellular, stellate, and stelliform. Poets, too, have looked to stella. John Milton used stellar in its infancy when he wrote in Paradise Lost "these soft fires … shed down their stellar virtue." Stellar shot into its leading role as a synonym of star (as when we say "stellar pupil") in the late 1800s.
Examples of stellar in a Sentence
Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
That’s more than anyone could have predicted after the event pic opening to $117.6 million last weekend amid stellar audience and critical reaction.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2025
Learn from three expert instructors how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can't replicate.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2025
On the flip side, stars like Lindsay Lohan and Jenna Ortega had stellar style moments while walking the red carpet for their respective projects (Lohan's looks gave a nod to her iconic Parent Trap role, captivating the hearts of '90s kids everywhere).
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Stellar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stellar. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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stellar
adjective
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