extraterrestrial

ex·tra·ter·res·tri·al
/ˌɛk.stɹə.təˈɹɛs.tɹi.əl/

adjective

Originating from outside of the Earth's atmosphere, from space, or from another planet; alien to Earth or its environment.

Similar
Less commonScrabble 23

Meanings

adjectiveextraterrestrial (comparative more extraterrestrial, superlative most extraterrestrial)

comparative more extraterrestrial · superlative most extraterrestrial · alternative extra-terrestrial

  1. Originating from outside of the Earth's atmosphere, from space, or from another planet; alien to Earth or its environment.

    Residents of the city of Voronezh insisted today that lanky, three-eyed extraterrestrial creatures had indeed landed in a local park and gone for a stroll and that a seemingly fantastic report about the event carried Monday by the official press agency Tass was absolutely true.

    1989 October 11, Esther B. Fein, “U.F.O. Landing Is Fact, Not Fantasy, the Russians Insist”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 Oct 2012, Section A, page 6
nounextraterrestrial (plural extraterrestrials)

plural extraterrestrials · alternative extra-terrestrial

  1. A being originating from outside of the Earth's atmosphere, from space, or from another planet; an alien.

    Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials.

    2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2013

    Synonyms: alien, ET, little green man, LGM, xenomorph

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA being originating from outside of the Earth's atmosphere, from space, or from another planet; an alien.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna form of life assumed to exist outside the Earth or its atmosphere

Similar
extraterrestrial beingalien
Broader
hypothetical creature

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁eǵʰsteros
  4. Proto-Italic*eksteros
  5. Latinexter
  6. Latinextrā
  7. Englishextra-
  8. Englishterrestrial
  9. Englishextraterrestrial

From extra- + terrestrial.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic قَائِم خَارِجَ الْأَرْض, فَضَائِيّ
  • قَائِم خَارِجَ الْأَرْض (qāʔim ḵārija l-ʔarḍ)originating from outside of the Earth
  • فَضَائِيّ (faḍāʔiyy)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • فَضَائِيَّة (faḍāʔiyya)being originating from outside of the Earth
Bulgarian извънзе́мен, извънзе́мен
  • извънзе́мен (izvănzémen)originating from outside of the Earth
  • извънзе́мен (izvănzémen)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • извънзе́мна (izvănzémna)being originating from outside of the Earth
Catalan extraterrestre, extraterrestre
  • extraterrestreoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extraterrestrebeing originating from outside of the Earth
Chinese Mandarin 地球外的, 外星的
  • 地球外的 (dìqiúwài de)originating from outside of the Earth
  • 外星的 (wàixīng de)originating from outside of the Earth
  • 外星人 (wàixīngrén)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • 宇宙人 (yǔzhòurén)being originating from outside of the Earth
Czech mimozemský, mimozemšťan
  • mimozemskýoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • mimozemšťanbeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • mimozemšťankabeing originating from outside of the Earth
Danish udenjordisk, rumvæsen
  • udenjordiskoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • rumvæsenbeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • alienbeing originating from outside of the Earth
Dutch buitenaards, ruimtewezen
  • buitenaardsoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • ruimtewezenbeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • alienbeing originating from outside of the Earth
Esperanto ekstertera, eksterterano
  • eksterteraoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • eksterteranobeing originating from outside of the Earth
Estonian maaväline, tulnukas
  • maavälineoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • tulnukasbeing originating from outside of the Earth
Finnish avaruus-, avaruusolento
  • avaruus-originating from outside of the Earth
  • avaruusolentobeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • avaruusoliobeing originating from outside of the Earth
French extraterrestre, extraterrestre
  • extraterrestreoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extraterrestrebeing originating from outside of the Earth
German außerirdisch, extraterrestrisch
  • außerirdischoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extraterrestrischoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • Außerirdischerbeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • Außerirdischebeing originating from outside of the Earth
Greek εξωγήινος, εξωγήινος
  • εξωγήινος (exogíinos)originating from outside of the Earth
  • εξωγήινος (exogíinos)being originating from outside of the Earth
Hindi परग्रही, परग्रही
  • परग्रही (paragrahī)originating from outside of the Earth
  • परग्रही (paragrahī)being originating from outside of the Earth
Hungarian földönkívüli, földönkívüli
  • földönkívülioriginating from outside of the Earth
  • földönkívülibeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • űrlénybeing originating from outside of the Earth
Irish eachtardhomhandach
  • eachtardhomhandachbeing originating from outside of the Earth
Italian extraterrestre
  • extraterrestreoriginating from outside of the Earth
Japanese 地球外, 宇宙人
  • 地球外 (chikyūgai)originating from outside of the Earth
  • 宇宙人 (uchūjin)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • 異星人 (iseijin)being originating from outside of the Earth
Korean 지구밖, 외계의
  • 지구밖 (jigu-bak)originating from outside of the Earth
  • 외계의 (oegye-ui)originating from outside of the Earth
  • 우주인 (uju'in)being originating from outside of the Earth
Latin extrāterrestriālis, extrāterrestris
  • extrāterrestriālisoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extrāterrestrisoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extrā terramoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • ēns extrā terrambeing originating from outside of the Earth
Latvian ārpuszemes
  • ārpuszemesoriginating from outside of the Earth
Lithuanian nežemiškas
  • nežemiškasoriginating from outside of the Earth
Norwegian Bokmål utenomjordisk, romvesen
  • utenomjordiskoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • romvesenbeing originating from outside of the Earth
Persian فرازمینی
  • فرازمینی (farâ-zamini)originating from outside of the Earth
Polish pozaziemski, kosmita
  • pozaziemskioriginating from outside of the Earth
  • kosmitabeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • kosmitkabeing originating from outside of the Earth
Portuguese extraterrestre, extraterrestre
  • extraterrestreoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extraterrestrebeing originating from outside of the Earth
Romanian extraterestru, extraterestru
  • extraterestruoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extraterestrubeing originating from outside of the Earth
Russian внеземно́й, иноплане́тный
  • внеземно́й (vnezemnój)originating from outside of the Earth
  • иноплане́тный (inoplanétnyj)originating from outside of the Earth
  • неземно́й (nezemnój)originating from outside of the Earth
  • инопланетя́нин (inoplanetjánin)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • инопланетя́нка (inoplanetjánka)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • иноплане́тник (inoplanétnik)being originating from outside of the Earth
Slovak mimozemský, mimozemšťan
  • mimozemskýoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • mimozemšťanbeing originating from outside of the Earth
  • mimozemšťankabeing originating from outside of the Earth
Spanish extraterrestre, alienígena
  • extraterrestreoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • alienígenaoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • extraterrestrebeing originating from outside of the Earth
Swedish utomjordisk, utomjording (utomjordling)
  • utomjordiskoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • utomjording (utomjordling)being originating from outside of the Earth
Turkish uzaylı, dünya dışı
  • uzaylıoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • dünya dışıoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • uzaylıbeing originating from outside of the Earth
Ukrainian позазе́мний, неземни́й
  • позазе́мний (pozazémnyj)originating from outside of the Earth
  • неземни́й (nezemnýj)originating from outside of the Earth
  • іноплане́тний (inoplanétnyj)originating from outside of the Earth
  • іншоплане́тний (inšoplanétnyj)originating from outside of the Earth
  • іншопланетя́нин (inšoplanetjányn)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • іншопланетя́нка (inšoplanetjánka)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • чужопланетя́нин (čužoplanetjányn)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • чужопланетя́нка (čužoplanetjánka)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • інопланетя́нин (inoplanetjányn)being originating from outside of the Earth
  • інопланетя́нка (inoplanetjánka)being originating from outside of the Earth
Vietnamese ngoài trái đất, ngoài Trái Đất
  • ngoài trái đấtoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • ngoài Trái Đấtoriginating from outside of the Earth
  • ngoài hành tinhoriginating from outside of the Earth
Cite this entry
APA

extraterrestrial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/extraterrestrial

MLA

“extraterrestrial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/extraterrestrial. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “extraterrestrial,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/extraterrestrial.

Source: extraterrestrial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.