Goldilocks zone

American

Or goldilocks zone

noun

Astronomy.

a zone around a star having temperatures and other conditions that can support life on planets.

Mars is thought to lie on the outer edge of the sun's Goldilocks zone.

Etymology

Origin of Goldilocks zone

After the fairy-tale character Goldilocks

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They describe this as a chemical Goldilocks zone.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

In 2021, Long and colleagues followed up with a vanadium-based MOF that grabs hydrogen molecules more tightly at 21 kJ/mol, in the heart of the Goldilocks zone.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 27, 2023

“Wheel of Fortune” has always lived in the Goldilocks zone between the two.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2023

On this Friday night, patrons pack that Goldilocks zone for a performance by Cinema Hearts, a District band merging girl group melodies with garage rock moxie.

From Washington Post • Mar. 15, 2023

“There’s a Goldilocks zone that you’re trying to hit which makes it hard to pull off,” Terry explained.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 1, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023