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In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice usually occurs on June 20 or 21 and the winter solstice on December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed, the solstices are exactly the opposite. For several days around the time of the solstices, the sun's appearance on the horizon at sunrise and sunset seems to occur at the same spot, before it starts drifting to the north or south again. Solstice gets its shine from sol, the Latin word for "sun." The ancients added sol to -stit- (a participial stem of sistere, which means "to stand still") and came up with solstitium. Middle English speakers shortened solstitium to solstice in the 14th century.
Examples of solstice in a Sentence
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2025
According to Time and Date, the summer solstice provides an extra five hours and 24 minutes of daylight compared to the darkest day of the year — the winter solstice, which will be on Sunday, Dec. 21.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2025
Chichén Itzá especially draws crowds on the spring and winter solstices, when the sun creates the illusion of a snake on the pyramid dedicated to Kukulcá.
—Meagan Drillinger, AFAR Media, 22 Jan. 2025
The solstice is celebrated by many as a time of rebirth and change.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Solstice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solstice. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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solstice
noun
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