exoplanet

noun

exo·​plan·​et ˈek-sō-ˌpla-nət How to pronounce exoplanet (audio)
ˌek-sō-ˈpla-
: a planet orbiting a star that is not our sun

Examples of exoplanet 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.
The gas has been observed directly by the James Webb Space Telescope on four exoplanets, all belonging to the HR 8799 system, located 130 light-years from Earth. — Javier Carbajal, WIRED, 25 Mar. 2025 But astronomers are hopeful that this finding is just the start of a new era of exoplanet discovery. — Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025 Around 20 times closer than Mercury is to the sun, Barnard b is one of the lowest-mass exoplanets known and one of the few known with a mass less than that of Earth. — Jamie Carter, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 In 2023, debate erupted in the astronomy community about whether life could exist on an exoplanet called K2-18b. — Perri Thaler, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exoplanet

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exoplanet was in 1992

Rhymes for exoplanet

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Browse Nearby Words

exophthalmos
exoplanet
exoplasm
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Cite this Entry

“Exoplanet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exoplanet. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

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