Meanings
nounplanet (plural planets)
plural planets
- historicalastrologyEach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky—the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.First known use 14ᵗʰc.
Be they not dreames of humane vanity,[…]to make of our knowne earth a bright shining planet [translating astre]?
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 2602 more examples
The moon[…]began to rise from her bed, where she had slumbered away the day, in order to sit up all night. Jones had not travelled far before he paid his compliments to that beautiful planet, and, turning to his companion, asked him if he had ever beheld so delicious an evening?
1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 288Another of Boehme's followers, the Welshman Morgan Llwyd, also believed that the seven planets could be found within man.
1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 361 - historicalastronomyAny body that orbits the Sun, including the asteroids (as minor planets) and sometimes the moons of those bodies (as satellite planets)
A Discovrse concerning a New Planet. Tending to prove, That 'tis probable our Earth is one of the Planets
1640, John Wilkins, A Discovrse concerning a New Planet. Tending to prove, That 'tis probable our Earth is one of the Planets, titleSynonyms: wandering star, wanderstar
- currentastronomyA body which is massive enough to be in hydrostatic equilibrium (generally resulting in being an ellipsoid) but not enough to attain nuclear fusion and, in IAU usage, which directly orbits a star (or multiple star) and dominates the region of its orbit; specifically, in the case of the Solar system, the eight major bodies of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.First known use 2006
Their decision will force a rewrite of science textbooks because the solar system is now a place with eight planets and three newly defined "dwarf planets"—a new category of object that includes Pluto.
2006 December 22, Alok Jha, The Guardian1 more example
The closest planet takes just over nine Earth days to complete an orbit around the star, and the most distant takes about 55 days. All of the planets have quicker revolutions around their star than Mercury, which takes 88 days to complete one lap around the sun.
2023 November 29, Ashley Strickland, “Astronomers discover nearby six-planet solar system with ‘pristine configuration’”, in CNNSynonyms: world
- construed with the or this: The Earth.
It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]:[…]; perhaps to moralise on the oneness or fragility of the planet, or to see humanity for the small and circumscribed thing that it is;[…].
2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 361 more example
"My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects;[…]."
1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny body that orbits the Sun, including the asteroids (as minor planets) and sometimes the moons of those bodies (as satellite planets)
Similar
nounA body which is massive enough to be in hydrostatic equilibrium (generally resulting in being an ellipsoid) but not enough to attain nuclear fusion and, in IAU usage, which directly orbits a star (or multiple star) and dominates the region of its orbit; specifically, in the case of the Solar system, the eight major bodies of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Similar
Opposite
Broader
Narrower
chthonian planetcotton candy planetdwarf planetexoplanetexosolar planetgas giantGeorgian planetGoldilocks planetham planethome planetice giantice giant planetice planetJovian planetmalefic planetmean planetminor planetNeptunian planetocean planetpanthalassic planetprotoplanetrocky planetruling planettelluric planetterrestrial planettertiary planettransitional planetTrojan planetgiant planetmajor planetsilicate planetsilicon planetcarbide planetcarbon planetmesoplanetsuperplanetsuper-Earthinner planetouter planet
More synonyms by meaning
noun(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in order of their proximity to the sun; viewed from the constellation Hercules, all the planets rotate around the sun in a counterclockwise direction
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπλανάω“wander about, stray”
- Ancient Greekπλανήτης“wanderer”
- Latinplaneta
- Old Frenchplanete
- Middle Englishplanete
- Englishplanet
From Middle English planete, from Old French planete, from Latin planeta, planetes, from Ancient Greek πλανήτης (planḗtēs, “wanderer”) (itself an ellipsis of ἀστέρες πλανῆται (astéres planêtai, “wandering stars”)), from Ancient Greek πλανάω (planáō, “wander about, stray”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Latin pālor (“wander about, stray”), Old Norse flana (“to rush about”), and Norwegian flanta (“to wander about”). More at flaunt. So called because they have apparent motion, unlike the "fixed" stars. Originally including also the moon and sun but not the Earth; modern scientific sense of "world that orbits a star" is from 1630s in English. The Greek word is an enlarged form of πλάνης (plánēs, “who wanders around, wanderer”), also "wandering star, planet", in medicine "unstable temperature." Displaced native Old English tungol.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans planeet
- planeeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Ancient Greek πλανήτης
- πλανήτης (planḗtēs)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Arabic كَوْكَب سَيَّار, كَوْكَب
- كَوْكَب سَيَّار (kawkab sayyār)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- كَوْكَب (kawkab)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- كوكب (kawkab)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- كَوْكَب (kawkab)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- كَوْكَب (kawkab)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- كَوْكَب (kawkab)similar body in orbit around a star
Basque planeta, planeta
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Bengali গ্রহ, গ্রহ
- গ্রহ (groho)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- গ্রহ (groho)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- গ্রহ (groho)similar body in orbit around a star
Bulgarian плане́та, плане́та
- плане́та (planéta)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- плане́та (planéta)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- плане́та (planéta)similar body in orbit around a star
Catalan planeta, planeta
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Chinese 行星, 行星
- 行星 (hêng-chhiⁿ, hêng-chheⁿ, hêng-seng)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 行星 (hêng-seng, hêng-chheⁿ, hêng-chhiⁿ)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- 惑星 (he̍k-chheⁿ, he̍k-chhiⁿ)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
Chinese Cantonese 行星, 行星
- 行星each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 行星rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
Chinese Mandarin 行星, 行星
- 行星 (xíngxīng)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 行星 (xíngxīng)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- 行星 (xíngxīng)similar body in orbit around a star
Czech planeta, planeta
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Danish planet, planet
- planeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Dutch planeet, planeet
- planeeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planeetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planeetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Esperanto planedo, planedo
- planedoeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planedorocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planedosimilar body in orbit around a star
Estonian planeet, planeet
- planeeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planeetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planeetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Finnish planeetta, planeetta
- planeettaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planeettarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planeettasimilar body in orbit around a star
French planète, planète
- planèteeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planèterocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planètesimilar body in orbit around a star
German Planet, Wandelstern
- Planeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- Wandelsterneach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planedeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- Planetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- Planetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Greek πλανήτης, πλανήτης
- πλανήτης (planítis)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- πλανήτης (planítis)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- πλανήτης (planítis)similar body in orbit around a star
Hawaiian hōkū hele, hōkū hele
- hōkū heleeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- hōkū helerocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- hōkū helesimilar body in orbit around a star
Hebrew כּוֹכַב לֶכֶת, כּוֹכַב לֶכֶת
- כּוֹכַב לֶכֶת (kokháv lékhet)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- כּוֹכַב לֶכֶת (kokháv lékhet)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- כּוֹכַב לֶכֶת (kokháv lékhet)similar body in orbit around a star
Hindi ग्रह, ग्रह
- ग्रह (grah)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- ग्रह (grah)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- ग्रह (grah)similar body in orbit around a star
Hungarian bolygó, planéta
- bolygóeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planétaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- bolygórocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planétarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- bolygósimilar body in orbit around a star
- planétasimilar body in orbit around a star
Icelandic reikistjarna, reikistjarna
- reikistjarnaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- reikistjarnarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- plánetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- reikistjarnasimilar body in orbit around a star
- plánetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Indonesian planet, bintang siarah
- planeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- bintang siaraheach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
Iranian Persian سَیَّارِه, اَخْتَر
- سَیَّارِه (sayyâre)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- اَخْتَر (axtar)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- اَباخْتَر (abâxtar)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- هَرْباسْپ (harbâsp)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- هَرْباسْب (harbâsb)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Irish pláinéad, pláinéad
- pláinéadeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- pláinéadrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- pláinéadsimilar body in orbit around a star
- rinnsimilar body in orbit around a star
Italian pianeta, pianeta
- pianetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- pianetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- pianetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Japanese 惑星, プラネット
- 惑星 (wakusei)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- プラネット (puranetto)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 迷い星 (mayoiboshi)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 星 (hoshi)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 惑星 (wakusei)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- 惑星 (wakusei)similar body in orbit around a star
Korean 행성, 유성
- 행성 (haengseong)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 유성 (yuseong)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- 행성 (haengseong)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- 유성 (yuseong)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- 행성 (haengseong)similar body in orbit around a star
- 위성 (wiseong)similar body in orbit around a star
Latin planēta, planētēs
- planētaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planētēseach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- stella erranseach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- stella vagaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Latvian planēta, planēta
- planētaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planētarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planētasimilar body in orbit around a star
Lithuanian planeta, planeta
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Malay planet, bintang siarah
- planeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- bintang siaraheach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- bintang beredareach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Māori whetūao, whetū mārama
- whetūaoeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- whetū māramaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- aorangieach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Norwegian Bokmål planet, klode
- planeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- klodeeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Polish planeta, planeta
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Portuguese planeta, planeta
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Punjabi ਗ੍ਰਹਿ, ਨਛੱਤਰ
- ਗ੍ਰਹਿ (grhi)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- ਨਛੱਤਰ (nachattar)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Romanian planetă, planetă
- planetăeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetărocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
Russian плане́та, плане́та
- плане́та (planéta)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- плане́та (planéta)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- плане́та (planéta)similar body in orbit around a star
Scottish Gaelic planaid
- planaideach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Slovak planéta, planéta
- planétaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planétarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planétasimilar body in orbit around a star
Spanish planeta, planeta
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
Swahili sayari, sayari
- sayarieach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- sayarirocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- sayarisimilar body in orbit around a star
Swedish planet, planet
- planeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Tagalog planeta, buntala
- planetaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- buntalaeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planetarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- buntalarocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetasimilar body in orbit around a star
- buntalasimilar body in orbit around a star
Tamil கிரகம், கோள்
- கிரகம் (kirakam)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- கோள் (kōḷ)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- கோள் (kōḷ)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- கோள் (kōḷ)similar body in orbit around a star
Thai ดาวนพเคราะห์, ดาวเคราะห์
- ดาวนพเคราะห์ (nóp-pá-krɔ́)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- ดาวเคราะห์ (daao-krɔ́)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- เคราะห์ (krɔ́)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- ดาว (daao)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- ดาวนพเคราะห์ (nóp-pá-krɔ́)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- ดาวนพเคราะห์ (nóp-pá-krɔ́)similar body in orbit around a star
Turkish gezegen, planet
- gezegeneach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- planeteach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- seyyareeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- gezegenrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- planetrocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- gezegensimilar body in orbit around a star
- planetsimilar body in orbit around a star
Ukrainian плане́та, плане́та
- плане́та (planéta)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- плане́та (planéta)rocky or gaseous spherical bodies orbiting the Sun
- планета (planeta)similar body in orbit around a star
Urdu سَیّارَہ, گْرَہْ
- سَیّارَہ (saiyāra)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
- گْرَہْ (grah)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Vietnamese hành tinh
- hành tinheach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Welsh planed
- planedeach of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Yiddish פּלאַנעט
- פּלאַנעט (planet)each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Zulu umzulane class 3/3
- umzulane class 3/3each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with planet
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
planet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/planet
MLA
“planet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/planet. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “planet,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/planet.
Source: planet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.