horizon
noun
ho·ri·zon
hə-ˈrī-zᵊn 
1
a
: the line where the earth seems to meet the sky : the apparent junction of earth and sky
sailing toward the horizon
b
: the great circle on the celestial sphere formed by the intersection of the celestial sphere with a plane tangent to the earth's surface at an observer's position see azimuth illustration
c
: range of perception or experience
broaden your horizons
d
: something that might be attained
opening up new horizons in the field of cancer research
2
a
geology
: a natural soil layer deposited at a particular time usually identified by distinctive fossils
b
geology
: any of the reasonably distinct layers of soil or its underlying material in a vertical section of land
c
anthropology
: a cultural area or level of development indicated by separated groups of artifacts
Examples of horizon in a Sentence
We sailed toward the horizon.
The sun rose slowly over the eastern horizon.
These discoveries have opened up new horizons in the field of cancer research.
Recent Examples on the Web
These include horizon lock, brightness, volume, gesture and voice control, timers, audio and microphone settings, and firmware updates.
—
Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
The scenery is harsh but elegant, rolling hills and pale green grasses and pink-streaked horizon lines.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
There are other kinds of horizons besides black hole horizons.
—Quanta Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
Kramer credited Sinclair with helping to expand the band’s musical horizons further in the direction of R&B, free jazz and blues.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
Look for the planets in the evening, near the western horizon, once the sun sets.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Planning is not just about looking toward the next great horizon, but acknowledging the strategies that have worked well or need fine-tuning from the past.
—Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
And just off to the north and to the east, beneath this layer of dark, dark sky, there is a lovely pink and orange horizon; an orange and gold color.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
On the evening of April 10, head outside to see the two-day-old moon and bright Jupiter near each other along the western horizon just after sunset.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
The scenery is harsh but elegant, rolling hills and pale green grasses and pink-streaked horizon lines.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
There are other kinds of horizons besides black hole horizons.
—Quanta Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
Kramer credited Sinclair with helping to expand the band’s musical horizons further in the direction of R&B, free jazz and blues.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
Look for the planets in the evening, near the western horizon, once the sun sets.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Planning is not just about looking toward the next great horizon, but acknowledging the strategies that have worked well or need fine-tuning from the past.
—Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
And just off to the north and to the east, beneath this layer of dark, dark sky, there is a lovely pink and orange horizon; an orange and gold color.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
On the evening of April 10, head outside to see the two-day-old moon and bright Jupiter near each other along the western horizon just after sunset.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horizon.' 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 horizon
Cite this Entry
“Horizon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horizon. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
horizon
noun
ho·ri·zon
ˈhə-ˈrīz-ᵊn
1
: the line where the earth or sea seems to meet the sky
2
: the limit or range of a person's outlook or experience
reading broadens our horizons
3
: a distinct layer of soil or its underlying material in a vertical section of land
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