1: of, relating to, or characteristic of a solstice and especially the summer solstice
2: happening or appearing at or associated with a solstice
Did You Know?
Solstitial arrived in English in the 14th century by way of Anglo-French. Both "solstitial" and "solstice" can be traced back to the Latin word solstitium, meaning "solstice," and ultimately to sol, meaning "sun," and "-stit-" or -stes, meaning "standing." Some unsurprising relatives include "solar," "solarium" (a room used for sunbathing or therapeutic exposure to light), and "parasol" (a lightweight umbrella used as a sunshade). A less obvious relative is "armistice," which was coined partially by analogy with the way "solstice" had been formed from the "-stitium" ending.
