# dwarf planet

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A planetary (world-like) body of the Solar system, that directly orbits the Sun like the classical planets but does not gravitationally dominate other bodies in the region of its orbit.

## Etymology
Coined by analogy with dwarf star, as part of a tripartite classification of planets: classical planets (the big 8 in the Sol system), satellite planets (planetary-mass moons) and dwarf planets. Redefined by the IAU in 2006 to be a category of sub-planetary objects.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dwarf-planet