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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 That use is no longer current, but today biologists and geologists might use one of these synonyms: stellular, stellate, and stelliform.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
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025
After making amends with Peter during their reunion, the 25-year-old signal-caller took a moment to share details about the origins of his less-than-stellar view of canines.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
All-In-One 28-Inch Check-In Suitcase Thousands of five-star shopper ratings are a pretty stellar endorsement for this amply sized check-in suitcase.
—Michelle Baricevic, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025
Another standout was Ski Lodge, hidden behind Superfrico—a psychedelic Italian-American restaurant pairing avant-garde art with stellar dishes (the hamachi crudo and tuna tartare were exceptional).
—Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Stellar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stellar. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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stellar
adjective
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