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terrestrial

adjective
ter·​res·​tri·​al | \ tÉ™-ˈre-st(r)Ä“-É™l How to pronounce terrestrial (audio) ; -ˈres-chÉ™l, -ˈresh- How to pronounce terrestrial (audio) \

Definition of terrestrial

1a : of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants terrestrial magnetism
b : mundane in scope or character : prosaic
2a : of or relating to land as distinct from air or water terrestrial transportation
b(1) : living on or in or growing from land terrestrial plants terrestrial birds
(2) : of or relating to terrestrial organisms terrestrial habits
3 : belonging to the class of planets that are like the earth (as in density and silicate composition) the terrestrial planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars
Other Words from terrestrial Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about terrestrial

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Other Words from terrestrial

terrestrial noun
terrestrially adverb

Did You Know?

Terrestrial might be a pretty down-to-earth word, but some of its relatives are out of this world. "Terrestrial" first appeared in English in the 15th century and derives from the Latin root terra, which means "earth." In the mid-1800s "extra-" was added to "terrestrial," giving us "extraterrestrial," an adjective that can be used to describe things (including science fiction creatures) that come from space. "Terrestrial" shares the "-al" suffix with "celestial," which was first used in the 14th century. Not surprisingly, "celestial" ("of or relating to the sky or visible heavens") traces back to the Latin for sky, "caelum."

Examples of terrestrial in a Sentence

The toad has terrestrial habits, spending most of its time on shore. scientists haven't even found all the terrestrial life on our planet

Recent Examples on the Web

 Any terrestrial broadband provider runs the risk of becoming a dump pipe that others such as Netflix leverage to make money. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "A look behind the scenes at the Union-Tribune’s report on the race to 5G," 23 Aug. 2019 Methane doesn’t stay in the atmosphere as long as CO2 and is reabsorbed into terrestrial cycles via chemical reactions within 12 years or so. — David Roberts, Vox, "Fracking may be a bigger climate problem than we thought," 16 Aug. 2019 For marine and terrestrial organisms alike, rafting may be a key dispersal mechanism. — Raleigh Mcelvery, Smithsonian, "Ancient Sea Life May Have Hitched Across Oceans on Giant Living Rafts," 12 Aug. 2019 Odysseus chose Scylla and I, too, would have opted for a terrestrial evil, the sea vortex probably concealing some subterranean meat with its beauty. — Megan Fernandes, The New Yorker, "Scylla and Charybdis," 12 Aug. 2019 In that location, the snow would be mostly free of contamination from terrestrial dust, the researchers reported in a new study. — Mindy Weisberger, NBC News, "Space dust from ancient supernova found hiding in Antarctica," 14 Aug. 2019 There is also an award for Programmer of the Year, internet, non-terrestrial or syndicated. — Hal Boedeker, orlandosentinel.com, "WUCF FM’s Kayonne Riley named JazzWeek Programmer of Year," 12 Aug. 2019 Tropical forests, for example, are where 90 percent of all terrestrial species are found, said Robin Chazdon, an ecologist at the University of Connecticut. — National Geographic, "How to erase 100 years of carbon emissions? Plant trees—lots of them.," 4 July 2019 The Antarctanax came from a time just two million years after the extinction event that ended the Permian period, where 70 percent of all terrestrial species and 96 percent of ocean species died off. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Found in the Cold Mountains of Antarctica: A Warm Weather Lizard Fossil," 31 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'terrestrial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of terrestrial

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for terrestrial

Middle English, from Latin terrestris, from terra earth — more at terrace entry 1

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More Definitions for terrestrial

terrestrial

adjective
How to pronounce terrestrial (audio) How to pronounce terrestrial (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of terrestrial

: relating to or occurring on the earth
technical : living or growing on land instead of in water or air
: sending a broadcast signal from the Earth

See the full definition for terrestrial in the English Language Learners Dictionary

terrestrial

adjective
ter·​res·​tri·​al | \ tÉ™-ˈre-strÄ“-É™l How to pronounce terrestrial (audio) \

Kids Definition of terrestrial

1 : relating to the earth or its people Does anything like terrestrial life exist on other planets?
2 : living or growing on land terrestrial birds

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More from Merriam-Webster on terrestrial

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for terrestrial

Spanish Central: Translation of terrestrial

Nglish: Translation of terrestrial for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of terrestrial for Arabic Speakers

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