orbital

American  

[awr-bi-tl] / ˈɔr bɪ tl /

adjective

1. of or relating to an orbit.

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noun

1. Physics, Chemistry.

   1. a wave function describing the state of a single electron in an atom atomic orbital or in a molecule molecular orbital.

   2. the electron in that state.

orbital British  

/ ˈɔːbɪtəl /

adjective

1. of or denoting an orbit

2. (of a motorway or major road circuit) circling a large city

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noun

1. a region surrounding an atomic nucleus in which the probability distribution of the electrons is given by a wave function

2. an orbital road

Other Word Forms

• interorbital adjective
• interorbitally adverb
• orbitally adverb
• preorbital adjective
• superorbital adjective
• transorbital adjective
• unorbital adjective
• unorbitally adverb

Etymology

Origin of orbital

1535–45; < New Latin, Medieval Latin orbitālis; orbit, -al ¹

Compare meaning

How does orbital compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• orbital vs. belt sander
• subshell vs. orbital

Explanation

Something that's orbital has something to do with an orbit. A satellite's orbital path is the exact route it takes as it travels around the Earth. When planets, moons, or spacecraft move around other objects in an orbit — a curved, regular path — you can describe this movement as orbital. An orbital period is the length of time it takes a craft or body to make a complete pass around the object it orbits. Another way to use this adjective is to mean "relating to an eye socket," which is actually its earliest meaning. The Latin root is orbita, "wheel track, beaten path, course, or orbit."

Example Sentences

Given that Starship has not yet completed a successful orbital flight and Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has managed just two launches, this target looks, as Barber puts it, "a very steep ask".

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

It first tested shooting down a satellite in 2007, and has since invested in anti-satellite missile systems and an orbital defense system to deter attacks from orbit, along with enhanced space surveillance technologies.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

In 2025, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched 165 times, accounting for over half of global orbital launches.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Analysts say SpaceX’s orbital data center and chip-making plans could easily cost trillions of dollars to pull off.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Soon after John Mayer put on the Space Task Group jersey, Carl Huss and Ted Skopinski followed suit, making Katherine the natural inheritor of the research report that would describe Project Mercury’s orbital flight.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

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