1
a(1)
: the apparent surface of the heavens of which half forms the dome of the visible sky
(2)
: any of the concentric and eccentric revolving spherical transparent shells in which according to ancient astronomy stars, sun, planets, and moon are set
b
: a globe depicting such a sphere
broadly
: globe sense a
2
a
: a globular body : ball
c(1)
: a solid that is bounded by a surface consisting of all points at a given distance from a point constituting its center see Volume Formulas Table
(2)
: the bounding surface of a sphere
3
: natural, normal, or proper place
especially
: social order or rank
not in the same sphere as his moneyed friends
4
a
obsolete
: orbit
b
: an area or range over or within which someone or something acts, exists, or has influence or significance
the public sphere
sphered; sphering
ˌsfir
1
: zone, layer or region enveloping or radiating from the earth or another celestial body
ionosphere
magnetosphere
2
: collectivity : totality (as specified by the initial element)
biosphere
blogosphere
Synonyms
Examples of sphere in a Sentence
Noun
All points on a sphere are the same distance from the center.
Women at that time were confined to the domestic sphere.
They recognize that jobs in the public sphere are valuable.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Croll, Variety, 15 May 2024
Deep, almost peanut-buttery black sesame seeds underpin its nuanced layers: a dark custard base shielded under a thin, crackly sugar crust that shatters under the tap of a metal spoon, a sphere of black sesame ice cream sitting on top, a lacy cookie wheel wedged into it.
—Eric Kim, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2024
Sometimes, Black Twitter combined its influence in both spheres to produce real-world change.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2024
Making the most of the gold sphere, Calibre Mining stands out with towering achievements and radiant resources for anyone interested in purchasing gold.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024
The Pakistan army has historically relied on the courts to legitimize its intervention in the political sphere.
—Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Apr. 2024
Other courts are also breaking new ground in this sphere.
—Anastasia Moloney, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 May 2024
Covering Kesha was also the perfect way to venture into new waters, and appeal to crowds outside of the country music sphere.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2024
The spheres turned out a bit fluffier, but the ovals have more crackly surface geography to savor.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
CBS News, 1 Jan. 2023
And young people are innovating outside that sphere as well, including Southern-gothic singer-songwriter Ethel Cain and art-rockers Geese.
—Vulture, 6 June 2022
One is to look at the long-term, dangerous, even potential catastrophic impacts of climate change as an existential security threat that justifies the sorts of actions outside the security sphere that will be necessary to avoid those impacts.
—Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2010
But with those four, Grande was able to establish her credibility in the fragrance sphere early in her music career.
—Emily Jensen, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 Nov. 2022
Check out the velvet sphere from CB2 or Athena Calderone’s shearling spherical pillow from Crate & Barrel.
—Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2022
Sixty-five years ago, a metal sphere the size of a basketball caught the U.S. science, military and intelligence communities by surprise.
—Jonathan Osborne, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2022
Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte came out in 2003, and by the late 2000s, the fall trend had trickled from the novelty coffee drinks sphere into the beer world.
—Emma Balter, Chron, 10 Oct. 2022
Silver and Spellman have both have put their stamps on the comic book sphere in different ways.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Oct. 2022
Noun
After assuring such technology on in-flight entertainment systems, Barco next expanded to hospitals and boardrooms, becoming so prevalent in the latter sphere that the brand itself became Gallic shorthand for conference room tech.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 15 May 2024
Deep, almost peanut-buttery black sesame seeds underpin its nuanced layers: a dark custard base shielded under a thin, crackly sugar crust that shatters under the tap of a metal spoon, a sphere of black sesame ice cream sitting on top, a lacy cookie wheel wedged into it.
—Eric Kim, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2024
Sometimes, Black Twitter combined its influence in both spheres to produce real-world change.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2024
Making the most of the gold sphere, Calibre Mining stands out with towering achievements and radiant resources for anyone interested in purchasing gold.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024
The Pakistan army has historically relied on the courts to legitimize its intervention in the political sphere.
—Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Apr. 2024
Other courts are also breaking new ground in this sphere.
—Anastasia Moloney, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 May 2024
Covering Kesha was also the perfect way to venture into new waters, and appeal to crowds outside of the country music sphere.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2024
The spheres turned out a bit fluffier, but the ovals have more crackly surface geography to savor.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
Verb
The night culminated with a countdown as a glowing geodesic sphere 12 feet in diameter and weighing almost six tons descended from its lofty perch atop One Times Square.
—CBS News, 1 Jan. 2023
And young people are innovating outside that sphere as well, including Southern-gothic singer-songwriter Ethel Cain and art-rockers Geese.
—Vulture, 6 June 2022
One is to look at the long-term, dangerous, even potential catastrophic impacts of climate change as an existential security threat that justifies the sorts of actions outside the security sphere that will be necessary to avoid those impacts.
—Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2010
But with those four, Grande was able to establish her credibility in the fragrance sphere early in her music career.
—Emily Jensen, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 Nov. 2022
Check out the velvet sphere from CB2 or Athena Calderone’s shearling spherical pillow from Crate & Barrel.
—Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2022
Sixty-five years ago, a metal sphere the size of a basketball caught the U.S. science, military and intelligence communities by surprise.
—Jonathan Osborne, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2022
Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte came out in 2003, and by the late 2000s, the fall trend had trickled from the novelty coffee drinks sphere into the beer world.
—Emma Balter, Chron, 10 Oct. 2022
Silver and Spellman have both have put their stamps on the comic book sphere in different ways.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Oct. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sphere.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sphere
Cite this Entry
“Sphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sphere. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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