Meaning

A moon or other smaller body orbiting a larger one..

Definitions by Sense

1. A moon or other smaller body orbiting a larger one.
2. A man-made apparatus designed to be placed in orbit around a celestial body, generally to relay information, data etc. to Earth.
3. A country, state, office, building etc. which is under the jurisdiction, influence, or domination of another body.
4. (now rare) An attendant on an important person; a member of someone's retinue, often in a somewhat derogatory sense; a henchman.
5. (colloquial, uncountable) Satellite TV; reception of television broadcasts via services that use man-made satellite technology.
6. (grammar) A grammatical construct that takes various forms and may encode a path of movement, a change of state, or the grammatical aspect. Examples: "a bird flew past"; "she turned on the light".
7. (genetics) A very large array of tandemly repeating, non-coding DNA.
8. A community or town dependent on a larger town or city nearby.

Example Sentences

The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth.

A spent upper stage is a derelict satellite.

Many telecommunication satellites orbit at 36000km above the equator.

A 2025 global survey revealed widespread satellite interference in astrophotography, with 90% of respondents reporting moderate or worse impacts and 97.5% stating that conditions have significantly worsened over the past five years. This interference carries a substantial burden, costing an average of 27 extra minutes of editing per image, and 78% of participants believe a critical threshold exists, estimated at a median of 25,000 satellites, beyond which astrophotography will be irreparably harmed.

We read in the Bible, that Nicanor the persecutor of Gods Law[…]sent his Satellites to apprehend the good old man Rasias[…].

[…]he would nevertheless have a better bargain of this tall satellite if they settled the debate betwixt them in the forest[…]. Betwixt anxiety, therefore, vexation, and anger, Charles faced suddenly round on his pursuer[…].

Inspector Meadows was a small man with a ginger head and what I considered a peculiarly irritating manner. A satellite, also in plain clothes, sat unobtrusively in a corner.

The unnamed chronicler in his Dupin stories was the first Dr. Watson type of satellite—a narrator who accompanies the detective on his exploits, exclaims over his brilliance[…].

Word Forms

• satellites
• satelliting
• satellited

Synonyms for satellite

Related Words

When Should You Use Satellite?

Use satellite when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions