satellite

satellite — noun

1. a human-made object placed in orbit around a planet or moon that receives and se

1.nounB1
Definition

a human-made object placed in orbit around a planet or moon that receives and sends signals for television, phone calls, internet, and navigation, or that gathers data about weather and the surface of the Earth.

Example

The satellite sends high-speed internet to houses in places where phone lines cannot reach.

collocation: send + [signal/data/internet] via satellite

Dr. Lucía checked satellite images to find the best route through the flooded area.

collocation: satellite image for monitoring

Common collocations
  • launch a satellite
  • communications satellite
  • weather satellite
  • satellite data
  • satellite dish
  • put a satellite into orbit
  • satellite navigation
Synonyms
  • orbiter

    a satellite designed specifically to go around a planet, moon, or sun; more technical than 'satellite'

  • spacecraft

    any vehicle designed for travel or operation in space, not necessarily in orbit

  • probe

    a device sent into space to collect data, often flying past or landing on a body rather than orbiting it

Grammar Patterns

[countable] a satellite

attributive: satellite TV / satellite image

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, 'satellite' almost always refers to an artificial space device. When used as an attributive noun ('satellite TV', 'satellite navigation'), it describes services or technology that rely on such devices.

Common Mistakes

The rocket is now a satellite in orbit.
The rocket put the satellite into orbit.
The rocket is the vehicle that carries the satellite; they are not the same object.
A space station is a kind of satellite.
A space station is like a satellite, but it is bigger and has people living on it.
Space stations are a type of satellite, but the terms are not interchangeable in casual use.

2. a naturally occurring body, such as a moon, that travels in a curved path around

2.nounB1
Definition

a naturally occurring body, such as a moon, that travels in a curved path around a bigger body in the sky, kept in its orbit by the force of gravity.

Example

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, but other planets can have many moons.

collocation: natural satellite of + [planet]

Jupiter has four large natural satellites that were first seen by Galileo in 1610.

Common collocations
  • natural satellite of
  • orbit a planet
  • artificial satellite (contrast)
Synonyms
  • moon

    the everyday word for any natural satellite; more common in casual speech than 'natural satellite'

Grammar Patterns

[countable] natural satellite of + [planet]

Usage Note

In astronomy, 'moon' is a more common everyday word for this sense; 'natural satellite' tends to appear in more formal or scientific writing. The two terms are interchangeable in most contexts.

Common Mistakes

The Moon is a satellite of the Sun.
The Moon is a natural satellite of Earth.
A satellite orbits a larger body; the Moon orbits Earth, not the Sun.

3. a country that is officially independent but is heavily influenced or controlled

3.nounB2
Definition

a country that is officially independent but is heavily influenced or controlled by a larger, more powerful country, especially in its political and economic decisions.

Example

After the war, the small kingdom became a satellite of its powerful neighbour.

become a satellite of + [powerful country]

During the Cold War, many Eastern European countries were called satellite states.

collocation: satellite state

Common collocations
  • satellite state
  • satellite country
  • satellite nation
  • become a satellite of
  • economic satellite
Synonyms
  • client state

    emphasises economic and political dependence, often between unequal trading partners

  • puppet state

    stresses direct control by a foreign power, with a local government that merely follows orders

  • dependency

    a territory that is controlled by a larger country, often without formal independence

Antonyms
  • superpower

    a very powerful country that influences others, rather than being influenced

Grammar Patterns

[countable] satellite state / satellite country

Usage Note

This sense is most common in historical and political discussions about the Cold War period (1947–1991). In modern use, 'client state' or 'puppet state' are near-synonyms with slightly different connotations: 'client state' emphasises economic dependency, while 'puppet state' stresses direct control.

Common Mistakes

Taiwan is a satellite of China.
Taiwan is a self-governing island, not a satellite state.
This political sense is used for countries that are formally independent but controlled by another; it carries strong historical and political associations and should be used carefully.

4. a person who depends on someone more powerful and follows them without thinking

4.nounC1
Definition

a person who depends on someone more powerful and follows them without thinking independently, often in a way that suggests a lack of personal strength or judgment.

Example

The manager surrounded herself with satellites who never questioned her decisions.

surround oneself with + satellites

Faisal refused to be a satellite of the party leader and started his own movement.

Common collocations
  • satellite of
  • surround oneself with satellites
  • treat someone as a satellite
Synonyms
  • follower

    a neutral term for someone who supports a leader; does not carry the negative judgement of 'satellite'

  • minion

    a subordinate who carries out orders unquestioningly; more informal and often humorous or dismissive

  • sycophant

    someone who praises powerful people insincerely to gain advantage; emphasises flattery over mere dependence

Antonyms
  • leader

    someone who takes independent initiative rather than following others

  • independent

    a person who thinks and acts for themselves

Grammar Patterns

[countable] satellite of + [person / organization]

Usage Note

This sense carries a negative connotation, suggesting that the person lacks independent thought or initiative. It is less common than the other senses and tends to appear in literary or descriptive contexts.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words describe objects sent into space, they differ in purpose and orbit. A 'satellite' is any object — natural or artificial — that orbits a larger body; in everyday use it refers to communication or observation devices circling Earth. A 'spacecraft' is a broader term for any vehicle designed for space travel; it may dock at a station, land on a planet, or fly through space without ever entering orbit. An 'orbiter' is a specific type of spacecraft sent to circle a particular body, such as Mars or the Moon, to study it over time — it is always artificial and always in orbit. A 'probe' is sent to gather data from a target, often flying past it or landing on it rather than staying in orbit. For example, a weather 'satellite' orbits Earth continuously, while the Mars 'orbiter' circled the red planet, and the Voyager 'probe' flew past Jupiter on its way out of the solar system.

satellite ↗spacecraft ↗orbiter ↗probe ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • satellite dish
  • satellite TV
  • satellite navigation
  • satellite image
  • satellite phone

Phrases

  • by satellite
  • via satellite
  • satellite in orbit
  • communications satellite
  • weather satellite

Prepositions

  • in orbit
  • via satellite
  • by satellite

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'satellite' comes from Latin 'satelles' (meaning 'attendant' or 'bodyguard'), because early astronomers thought of moons as 'attendants' that followed their planets through the sky. The sense was first used in English around the 1550s for natural moons. After the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the word expanded to cover human-made space devices as well.