suborbital

adjective

sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bə-tᵊl 

1

: situated beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye

2

: being or involving less than one orbit (as of the earth or moon)

also : intended for suborbital flight

Examples of suborbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Oman’s Etlaq Spaceport is positioning itself to become a hub for research institutions and commercial rocket firms operating in both suborbital and deeper space, leaning on the government to slash approval times for commercial space launches to as little as 45 days, Semafor reported in October. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026

On its own, that may sound similar to other suborbital missions. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Headquartered in Washington state, Blue Origin made a name for itself with its suborbital human spaceflights using its New Shepard spacecraft from West Texas. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

The company is gearing up for the 12th suborbital trial of Starship, which could happen as soon as next month. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for suborbital

• infraorbital
• postorbital
• interorbital
• periorbital
• supraorbital
• orbital

Medical Definition

suborbital

adjective

sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bət-ᵊl 

: situated or occurring beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye

suborbital fat