Interplanetary
/ˌɪntərˈplænɪtəri/noun
Relating to travel, communication, or matter between planets.
Did you know?The core of this word comes from Latin inter- “between” plus planeta “wandering star,” so every time you say it, you’re echoing the ancient idea that planets were cosmic wanderers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to spread, flatten, or make broad”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πλανήτης (planētēs)
“a wanderer; a wandering star”
Latin
Latin
planeta
“a planet; wandering star”
Latin
Latin
inter- + planeta
“between + planets”
16th–17th Century
English
interplanetary
“between planets; relating to the space between planets”
Modern English
English
interplanetary
“relating to travel, communication, or matter between planets”