the Milky Way

noun

1
: a broad band of light that can be seen in the night sky and that is caused by the light of a very large number of faint stars
2
: the galaxy in which we live that contains the stars that make up the Milky Way

Examples of the Milky Way 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.
That's a sky where the Milky Way is very weak or invisible near the horizon and looks rather washed out overhead. Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025 In September and October, the core of the Milky Way is visible as soon as twilight descends. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025 Imagine if the nearest intelligent aliens were not across the street, not across the solar system, but on the far side of the Milky Way, some 33,000 light-years away from Earth. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025 The 20-to-30 degrees of galactic latitude, both north and south of the galactic plane, were dubbed the Zone of Avoidance in the late 19th century, because while there were huge numbers of spiral nebulae elsewhere, all across the sky, there were none found in or near the plane of the Milky Way. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the Milky Way

Cite this Entry

“The Milky Way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Milky%20Way. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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