light-year

noun

ˈlīt-ˌyir How to pronounce light-year (audio)
Definition of light-yearnext
as in world
a huge physical or conceptual distance my sister and I are close in age, but personality-wise, there are light-years between us

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of light-year On July 2, 2025, a burst with energy equivalent to 1,000 suns blazing for 10 billion years lit up Fermi’s detectors, heading from a dusty galaxy about eight billion light-years from Earth. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Ellen is also the principal of Sonny’s high school, and a warm-but-firm educator naturally evokes Tami Taylor, even if Oregon is thousands of miles and metaphorical light-years away from West Texas. — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 This white dwarf is only 48 light-years away from Earth, and has a deep convection zone. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 About 65 million light-years from Earth, three galaxies don’t look quite right. — Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for light-year
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-year
  1. world
  2. galaxy
Noun
  • Called the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI, the ride attracts thousands of cyclists from throughout the nation and world.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Sun enters your 12th House, drawing your attention toward rest, reflection, privacy, unfinished matters, and everything easier to hear when the outside world becomes less demanding.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of world
Noun
  • Not just a rock star but an entire galaxy unto himself, Bowie became a singular force in glam rock, electronic and ambient sounds, dance pop, art rock, and gender-bending fashion.
    — Eleni N. Gage, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • After the initial blast, which spews out gamma rays, a storm of radiation pours into the surrounding galaxy, creating a ferocious afterglow that burns in every part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of galaxy

Browse Nearby Words

lightweights
light-year
light-years
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Cite this Entry

“Light-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-year. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on light-year

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about light-year

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