extraterrestrial
extraterrestrial — adjective
1. relating to life or objects that exist or come from somewhere beyond the Earth's
relating to life or objects that exist or come from somewhere beyond the Earth's atmosphere.
Dr. Talia Okonkwo detected an extraterrestrial radio signal from a galaxy far beyond our own.
attributive: extraterrestrial radio signal
The research team in Chile studied rock samples that may have an extraterrestrial origin.
attributive: extraterrestrial origin
Baraka often stares at the stars, wondering if extraterrestrial life exists somewhere out there.
When the strange object landed in Élise's garden, she wondered if it was extraterrestrial.
The government panel discussed how to handle a confirmed extraterrestrial visit to Earth.
- alien
more common in everyday language; can also mean 'foreign' or 'strange', whereas extraterrestrial is specific to outer space
- cosmic
broader in scope — refers to the entire universe rather than specifically 'beyond Earth'
- space-based
more literal and technical; focuses on location rather than origin
- terrestrial
direct opposite — relating to the planet Earth
- earthly
emphasises the contrast with 'from space'
文法句型
extraterrestrial + noun
be + extraterrestrial
用法筆記
Often used attributively before nouns such as life, signal, being, or origin. The predicative use (e.g., 'the object might be extraterrestrial') is less common but acceptable.
常見錯誤
extraterrestrial — noun
1. a living being whose home is a planet other than Earth, especially in fictional
a living being whose home is a planet other than Earth, especially in fictional stories or scientific discussions about life beyond our solar system.
When the spaceship landed, a small green extraterrestrial stepped out and waved at the children.
indefinite article + adjective: a small green extraterrestrial
Maeve drew a picture of a friendly extraterrestrial with three eyes and long, thin arms.
Some people believe the government has hidden the remains of extraterrestrials in a secret facility.
In the story, an extraterrestrial learns English by watching television with a human family.
Samir wonders whether an extraterrestrial would find human music as beautiful as we do.
- alien
much more common in everyday speech; extraterrestrial sounds more formal or scientific
- space being
more informal and descriptive; less commonly used in scientific writing
- E.T.
informal and brand-specific, derived from the film title; carries friendly connotations
- earthling
humorous or science-fiction term for a human being from Earth
- terrestrial
formal term for an Earth-dweller, especially in scientific classification
文法句型
[article] + [adjective] + extraterrestrial
extraterrestrial + [relative clause]
用法筆記
Commonly appears in science fiction contexts and in discussions about the possibility of life beyond Earth. The plural form extraterrestrials is frequent when referring to hypothetical groups or species.