1
: a unit of length in astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum or about 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers)
2
: an extremely large measure of comparison (as of distance, time, or quality)
seems like light-years ago
has light-years more talent
two minutes and yet light-years away from the crowded village—
Suzanne Patterson
Suzanne Patterson
Examples of light-year in a Sentence
my sister and I are close in age, but personality-wise, there are light-years between us
Recent Examples on the Web
Currently, public-sector organizations in both countries remain light-years away from this model.
—Greg Orme, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
This galaxy, roughly 59 million light-years away, is typical of the kinds of galaxies that inhabited the early universe and is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
In 2025, the JWST will likely shed more light into these tantalizing detections, and hopefully confirm, for the first time ever, if there is life on alien worlds light-years away from our own.
—Lisa Kaltenegger, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2024
Since the Sombrero Galaxy, at around 30 million light-years away, is visible with small telescopes, amateur astronomers have also taken interest, according to EarthSky’s Kelly Kizer Whitt.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Dec. 2024
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Greg Orme, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
This galaxy, roughly 59 million light-years away, is typical of the kinds of galaxies that inhabited the early universe and is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
In 2025, the JWST will likely shed more light into these tantalizing detections, and hopefully confirm, for the first time ever, if there is life on alien worlds light-years away from our own.
—Lisa Kaltenegger, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2024
Since the Sombrero Galaxy, at around 30 million light-years away, is visible with small telescopes, amateur astronomers have also taken interest, according to EarthSky’s Kelly Kizer Whitt.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for light-year
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Cite this Entry
“Light-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light-year. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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