terrestrial
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.relating to the planet Earth rather than other planets or space.
adj.pertaining to the planet Earth as a physical or astronomical entity.
Simple“Scientists are looking for terrestrial planets that might support life like ours.”
In context“The probe was designed to measure terrestrial magnetism before exiting the atmosphere to study the solar wind.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.living or growing on land instead of in water or in the air.
adj.living or growing on the ground or in soil as opposed to being aquatic, arboreal, or epiphytic.
Simple“The island is home to several unique terrestrial birds that cannot fly.”
In context“The study compares the metabolic rates of aquatic mammals with those of their terrestrial relatives to understand heat conservation.”
UsageCommonly used in biology and ecology.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing television or radio signals sent from the ground rather than by satellite.
adj.relating to the transmission of television or radio signals via ground-based stations rather than satellite or cable.
Simple“You don't need a satellite dish to watch terrestrial television.”
In context“The government announced a plan to switch off the old terrestrial signal in favour of a fully digital network.”
UsageOften used in the context of media and telecommunications.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a person or creature that lives on the planet Earth.
n.an inhabitant of the planet Earth, often used in contrast to hypothetical aliens.
Simple“In the movie, the aliens were surprised by the strange habits of terrestrials.”
In context“The novelist explores the philosophical implications of a first contact between advanced civilizations and unsuspecting terrestrials.”
SynonymsearthlinghumanAntonyms
“A wide range of predators hunted on the lake's shores, including anacondas, saber-toothed mammals, flightless "terror birds" and sebecids—terrestrial relatives of crocodylians.”
“This beetle feeds primarily on terrestrial snails and has diversified into eight subspecies.”
From Middle English terrestrialle, from terrestre or Latin terrestris, from terra (“land, earth, ground”), with the suffix -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.