Meanings
plural aphelia · plural proscribed aphelions
- alsofigurativelyastronomyThe point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from the Sun.
[I]t follows from the theory of gravity, that the aphelia of Mercury, Venus, the Earth, and Mars, slightly progress.
1837, William Whewell, “The Inductive Epoch of Newton—Discovery of the Universal Gravitation of Matter, according to the Law of the Inverse Square of the Distance”, in History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Times. […], volume II, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […]; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: J. and J. J. Deighton, →OCLC, book VII (History of Physical Astronomy), page 170Antonyms: perihelion
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from the Sun.
More synonyms by meaning
nounapoapsis in solar orbit; the point in the orbit of a planet or comet that is at the greatest distance from the sun
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*sóh₂wl̥“the sun”
- Ancient Greekἀπο-
- New Latinaphēlium
- Englishaphelion
From New Latin aphēlium (whence English aphelium, now displaced) + -ion (used in the names of other apsides). Aphelium was formed from Ancient Greek ἀπο- (apo-, prefix meaning ‘away, from, off’) + ἥλῐος (hḗlĭos, “the sun”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ (“the sun”)), modelled after New Latin apogaeum (“apogee”). The plural form aphelia is from aphelion + -a (plural form of the suffix -on).
More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَوْج
- أَوْج (ʔawj)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Basque afelio
- afeliopoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Catalan afeli
- afelipoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Chinese Mandarin 遠日點 /远日点
- 遠日點 /远日点 (yuǎnrìdiǎn)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Czech afélium
- aféliumpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Dutch aphelium
- apheliumpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Esperanto afelio
- afeliopoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Finnish apheli
- aphelipoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
French aphélie
- aphéliepoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
German Aphel
- Aphelpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Greek αφήλιο
- αφήλιο (afílio)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Icelandic sólfirð
- sólfirðpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Irish aiféilean, apaihéilean
- aiféileanpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
- apaihéileanpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
- cianphointe ó ghrianpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Italian afelio
- afeliopoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Japanese 遠日点
- 遠日点 (enjitsuten)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Korean 원일점
- 원일점 (woniljeom)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Persian اوج خورشیدی
- اوج خورشیدی (owj-e xoršidi)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Polish aphelium
- apheliumpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Portuguese afélio, afélia
- aféliopoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
- aféliapoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Russian афе́лий
- афе́лий (afélij)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Slovak afélium
- aféliumpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Spanish afelio
- afeliopoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Swedish aphelium
- apheliumpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Tagalog higlayo sa Adlaw
- higlayo sa Adlawpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Ukrainian афе́лій
- афе́лій (afélij)point in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Vietnamese điểm viễn nhật
- điểm viễn nhậtpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Welsh affelion
- affelionpoint in the elliptical orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the Sun
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with aphelion
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
aphelion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aphelion
“aphelion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aphelion. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aphelion,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aphelion.
Source: aphelion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.