tropical year

noun

The time that it takes for the Sun to return to the same position along the ecliptic, as viewed from the Earth, especially, completing a full cycle of seasons.

Meanings

nountropical year (plural tropical years)

plural tropical years

  1. The time that it takes for the Sun to return to the same position along the ecliptic, as viewed from the Earth, especially, completing a full cycle of seasons.
  2. A vernal equinox year; the time between two successive vernal equinoxes.

    Synonyms: solar year, astronomical year, equinoctial year, Sothic year

  3. broadlyThe time it takes for any astronomical object (such as a planet, dwarf planet, small Solar System body, or comet) in direct orbit around a star (such as the Sun) to make one revolution around the star, taking into account orbital precession.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA vernal equinox year; the time between two successive vernal equinoxes.

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe time for the earth to make one revolution around the sun, measured between two vernal equinoxes

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 回歸年 /回归年, 太陽年 /太阳年
  • 回歸年 /回归年 (huíguīnián)time between two successive vernal equinoxes
  • 太陽年 /太阳年 (tàiyángnián)time between two successive vernal equinoxes
Finnish trooppinen vuosi
  • trooppinen vuositime between two successive vernal equinoxes
Hungarian szoláris év, tropikus év
  • szoláris évtime between two successive vernal equinoxes
  • tropikus évtime between two successive vernal equinoxes
Japanese 回帰年, 太陽年
  • 回帰年 (kaikinen)time between two successive vernal equinoxes
  • 太陽年 (taiyōnen)time between two successive vernal equinoxes
Korean 회귀년, 태양년
  • 회귀년 (hoegwinyeon)time between two successive vernal equinoxes
  • 태양년 (taeyangnyeon)time between two successive vernal equinoxes
Polish rok zwrotnikowy
  • rok zwrotnikowytime between two successive vernal equinoxes
Portuguese ano tropical
  • ano tropicaltime between two successive vernal equinoxes
Romanian an tropic, an solar
  • an tropictime between two successive vernal equinoxes
  • an solartime between two successive vernal equinoxes
Russian тропи́ческий год
  • тропи́ческий год (tropíčeskij god)time between two successive vernal equinoxes
Cite this entry
APA

tropical year. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tropical%20year

MLA

“tropical year.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tropical%20year. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tropical year,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tropical%20year.

Source: tropical year on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.