summer solstice

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

sum′mer sol′stice, [Astron.]

1. Astronomy the solstice on or about June 21st that marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

• 1540–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

summer solstice noun

1. the time at which the sun is at its northernmost point in the sky (southernmost point in the S hemisphere), appearing at noon at its highest altitude above the horizon. It occurs about June 21 (December 22 in the S hemisphere)
2. the point on the celestial sphere, opposite the winter solstice, at which the ecliptic is furthest north from the celestial equator. Right ascension: 6 hours; declination: 23.5°