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Stella, the Latin word for "star," shines brightly in the word constellation, but stella words have been favored by scientists to describe earthly things as much as heavenly bodies. Stellar was once used to mean "star-shaped." That use is no longer current, but today biologists and geologists might use one of these synonyms: stellular, stellate, and stelliform. Poets, too, have looked to stella. John Milton used stellar in its infancy when he wrote in Paradise Lost "these soft fires … shed down their stellar virtue." Stellar shot into its leading role as a synonym of star (as when we say "stellar pupil") in the late 1800s.
Examples of stellar in a Sentence
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 May 2026
Taunton was only able to add one more run over the next two innings as Danubio found a rhythm, but stellar defense behind Parece denied Norton a hit the rest of the way to secure the win.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
The stellar shortstop went 5-for-5 in two games this week to lead the Royals to the championship in Class 2A District 7 — the only district in the state with three teams ranked in the top six of their classification.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
The stellar collection includes some legacy vehicles but more newbies.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stellar
Cite this Entry
“Stellar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stellar. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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stellar
adjective
