Meaning & use
summer solstice
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
The day of the year when the sun is highest in the sky and daylight lasts longest, occurring around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere.
Grammar: Use 'the summer solstice' when talking about a specific year's event, or 'a summer solstice' when referring to one of many.
Patterns
- the summer solstice
- on the summer solstice
- at the summer solstice
Many people gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise on the summer solstice.
The summer solstice marks the official start of summer in many cultures.
In 2024, the summer solstice falls on June 20.
nounsingular
The point in time when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, marking the longest day, often used with 'the'.
Grammar: Often used with 'the' as a fixed phrase: 'the summer solstice'.
Patterns
- the summer solstice
- celebrate the summer solstice
The summer solstice is celebrated with festivals in Sweden and other Nordic countries.
Astronomers calculate the exact moment of the summer solstice each year.
Word forms
| plural | summer solstices |
|---|
Common combinations
- summer solstice celebration
- The town holds a summer solstice celebration every June.
- summer solstice sunrise
- We woke up early to see the summer solstice sunrise.
- summer solstice festival
- The summer solstice festival attracts thousands of visitors.
- on the summer solstice
- On the summer solstice, the sun sets very late.
Synonyms and how they differ
- midsummer
- Midsummer is a more literary or traditional term for the same period, often associated with festivals; summer solstice is the precise astronomical term.
- June solstice
- June solstice is a neutral term used in astronomy to avoid hemisphere bias; summer solstice is more common in everyday speech in the Northern Hemisphere.
Opposites
Word family
- solstice noun
- Either of the two times of year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator.
- solstitial adjective
- Relating to a solstice.
Commonly confused: summer solstice or equinox?
summer solstice vs equinox
An equinox is when day and night are nearly equal in length, occurring in spring and autumn; a solstice is when the difference between day and night is greatest.
Practice
The summer solstice is the day when the sun is ______ in the sky and daylight lasts longest.
Choose one answer.
The summer solstice is when the sun reaches its highest point, giving the longest day. 'Lowest' is the opposite (winter solstice). 'Fastest' and 'brightest' do not describe the sun's position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “summer solstice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.