winter solstice

noun

The point in Earth's orbital path at which either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is maximally tilted away from the Sun.

Similar
winter sunstead
Opposite
summer solstice
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Meanings

nounwinter solstice (usually uncountable, plural winter solstices)

plural winter solstices

  1. uncountableusuallyastronomyThe point in Earth's orbital path at which either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is maximally tilted away from the Sun.

    Synonyms: winter sunstead

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe point in Earth's orbital path at which either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is maximally tilted away from the Sun.

Similar
winter sunstead

More synonyms by meaning

nounDecember 22, when the sun is at its southernmost point

Opposite
summer solstice
Broader
solstice
Also see
winter sunstead

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian зимно слънцестоене
  • зимно слънцестоене (zimno slăncestoene)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Catalan solstici d'hivern
  • solstici d'hivernthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Chinese Cantonese 冬至, 冬節 /冬节
  • 冬至the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
  • 冬節 /冬节the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Chinese Mandarin 冬至, 冬節 /冬节
  • 冬至 (dōngzhì)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
  • 冬節 /冬节 (dōngjié)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
  • 南至 (nánzhì)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Czech zimní slunovrat
  • zimní slunovratthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Danish vintersolhverv
  • vintersolhvervthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Estonian talvine pööripäev
  • talvine pööripäevthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Finnish talvipäivänseisaus
  • talvipäivänseisausthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
French solstice d'hiver
  • solstice d'hiverthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
German Wintersonnenwende
  • Wintersonnenwendethe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Greek χειμερινό ηλιοστάσιο
  • χειμερινό ηλιοστάσιο (cheimerinó iliostásio)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Hindi दक्षिणायन
  • दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyan)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Hungarian téli napforduló
  • téli napfordulóthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Icelandic vetrarsólstöður, vetrarsólhvörf
  • vetrarsólstöðurthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
  • vetrarsólhvörfthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Irish grianstad an gheimhridh
  • grianstad an gheimhridhthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Italian solstizio d'inverno
  • solstizio d'invernothe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Japanese 冬至
  • 冬至 (tōji)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Korean 동지
  • 동지 (dongji)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Latin brūma
  • brūmathe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Māori te Ihu o Hinetakurua
  • te Ihu o Hinetakuruathe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Norwegian Bokmål vintersolverv
  • vintersolvervthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Persian انقلاب زمستانی
  • انقلاب زمستانیthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Polish przesilenie zimowe
  • przesilenie zimowethe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Portuguese solstício de inverno
  • solstício de invernothe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Romanian solstițiu de iarnă
  • solstițiu de iarnăthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Russian зи́мнее солнцестоя́ние
  • зи́мнее солнцестоя́ние (zímneje solncestojánije)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Scottish Gaelic grian-stad geamhraidh
  • grian-stad geamhraidhthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Spanish solsticio de invierno, solsticio hiemal
  • solsticio de inviernothe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
  • solsticio hiemalthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
  • solsticio invernalthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
  • solsticio invernizothe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Swedish vintersolstånd
  • vintersolståndthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Thai เหมายัน
  • เหมายัน (hemayan)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Ukrainian зимо́ве́ сонцестоя́ння
  • зимо́ве́ сонцестоя́ння (zymóvé soncestojánnja)the moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Vietnamese đông chí
  • đông chíthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Welsh byrddydd gaeaf
  • byrddydd gaeafthe moment when the hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun
Cite this entry
APA

winter solstice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/winter%20solstice

MLA

“winter solstice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/winter%20solstice. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “winter solstice,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/winter%20solstice.

Source: winter solstice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.