inner planet

noun

: any of the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars whose orbits are within the asteroid belt

Examples of inner planet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The timing of Jupiter's opposition is caused by the differing speeds of Earth, an inner planet 93 miles from the sun, and Jupiter, which is an outer planet 484 million miles from the sun. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 That’s because Jupiter acts as a shield for the inner planets of the solar system, including Earth. Benjamin Roulston, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2024 Even during the solar system’s shooting-gallery phase, about four billion years ago, when accreted rubble was pounding the inner planets—the amount of material that fell to Earth was comparatively tiny. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024 As a red giant, the sun will likely evaporate the solar system’s inner planets such as Mercury and Venus, although Earth’s fate remains unclear, according to NASA. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inner planet 

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inner planet was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near inner planet

Cite this Entry

“Inner planet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner%20planet. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!