Word
galactic
Phoneticsga·lac·tic
US/ɡəˈɫæktɪk/
UK/ɡɐlˈæktɪk/
Definitions
01astronomy
adj. relating to a galaxy, which is a massive group of stars, gas, and dust.
adj. relating to a galaxy or galaxies, particularly the Milky Way. Often used in non-gradable contexts when referring to specific astronomical structures.
“Scientists are studying the galactic center to understand how stars are born.”
“The telescope captured high-resolution images of galactic dust clouds that had previously obscured our view of the neighboring star cluster.”
Synonyms
02enormous
adj. extremely large in size, amount, or importance.
adj. extremely large or significant in scale; used figuratively to emphasize immense proportions or impact.
“The company suffered a galactic loss after the new product failed.”
“The merger was a galactic event in the tech industry, shifting the balance of power between the world's largest corporations.”
Informal
03relating to milk
adj. relating to milk or how the body produces milk.
adj. pertaining to milk or the secretion of milk. This sense is restricted to specialized medical or biological contexts.
“The doctor explained the galactic functions of the glands during the checkup.”
“The researcher published a paper on the galactic properties of certain proteins found in mammalian secretions.”
Technical
Real-World Examples
“Gaia data had identified about 288,000 stars, while the galactic model suggested that more than 6.1 million stars may actually have been observed.” “Before 2024, every confirmed example had been found in a galactic core.” Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek γαλακτικός (galaktikós, “milky”), from γάλα (gála, “milk”). Doublet of galactico.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/galactic