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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
Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 23 Sep. 2024
There is also a spring equinox which signifies a similar transition, in contrast to the summer and winter solstices that occur.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2024
The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice, which is expected to arrive on December 21 at 4:19 a.m.
—Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024
The winter solstice is the point where the path of the sun in the sky is farthest south.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for solstice 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solstice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Solstice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solstice. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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solstice
noun
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