quasar

noun

qua·​sar ˈkwā-ˌzär How to pronounce quasar (audio)
also -ˌsär
Synonyms of quasarnext
: a region at the center of a galaxy that produces an extremely large amount of radiation

Examples of quasar 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.
To uncover them, the research team began with a catalog of roughly 800,000 quasars identified by DESI and used a machine-learning model to search for subtle signatures of gravitational lensing. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 31 July 2026 But now, the European Space Agency's Euclid Space Telescope has identified a clutch of primordial quasars, dating to some 13 billion years ago—putting them among the oldest of these objects ever found in the universe. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for quasar

Word History

Etymology

quasi-stellar

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quasar was in 1964

Browse Nearby Words

quas
quasar
quash
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Cite this Entry

“Quasar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quasar. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

quasar

noun
qua·​sar ˈkwā-ˌzär How to pronounce quasar (audio)
also -ˌsär
: any of the very distant starlike heavenly objects that give off very strong blue and ultraviolet light and powerful radio waves

More from Merriam-Webster on quasar

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for quasar

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quasar

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