# satellite

/ˈsætəˌɫaɪt/ (US) · /sˈætəlˌaɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/satellite
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. man-made machine in space

noun · CEFR B1

a machine sent into space to orbit the Earth for communication, weather, or GPS.

For teachers: an artificial apparatus placed in orbit around a celestial body to relay data or facilitate telecommunications.

- The weather satellite sends high-resolution images of the storm back to Earth.
- Engineers lost contact with the communications satellite shortly after it entered the upper atmosphere, jeopardising the entire regional network.

### 2. a moon

noun · CEFR B2

a natural object, like a moon, that moves around a planet.

For teachers: a natural celestial body that orbits a planet or a larger primary body.

- The planet Jupiter has dozens of satellites, including the famous moon Europa.
- Astronomers are currently investigating whether the small irregular satellite was captured by the planet's gravity or formed alongside it.

### 3. satellite TV

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

television programs sent to your home using signals from space.

For teachers: television broadcasting services received via a dish from an orbiting transmitter.

- We decided to get satellite because the local channels had poor reception.
- The rural household relied on satellite for their internet and television needs due to the lack of fibre-optic infrastructure in the valley.

### 4. dependent country or town

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

a smaller country or town that is controlled by or depends on a larger one.

For teachers: a political or urban entity that is technically independent but remains under the heavy influence or domination of a larger power.

- The small town grew as a satellite of the nearby capital city.
- During the Cold War, several Eastern European nations functioned as satellite states, with their domestic policies largely dictated by the Soviet Union.

### 5. grammar particle

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a small word that goes with a verb to show direction or a change, like 'out' in 'go out'.

For teachers: a grammatical constituent that complements a verb to express path, aspect, or result, often found in satellite-framed languages like English.

- In the phrase 'run away', the word 'away' is a satellite.
- English is classified as a satellite-framed language because it typically expresses the path of motion through a satellite rather than within the verb root itself.

Usage: In linguistics, this term refers to the 'particle' in a phrasal verb.

### 6. to transmit

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to send a signal or show a program using a satellite.

For teachers: to transmit a signal, data, or broadcast via an orbiting satellite.

- The live concert was satellited to millions of viewers across the globe.
- The news agency managed to satellite the footage from the remote disaster zone just minutes before the ground station lost power.

## Examples

- The satellite sends weather data back to Earth.
- Engineers launched a new communications satellite into orbit to improve internet speeds in remote mountain villages.
- While the moon remains Earth's only natural satellite, thousands of artificial devices now populate the low Earth orbit, providing essential services from global positioning to climate monitoring.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.