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superstar

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Etymology and origin of the English word superstar

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1910, G. P. Serviss
Ultimate origins
English super-Old English steorra
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English star
English superstar

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈsuː.pəˌstɑː/[1]
  • US: /ˈsu.pɚˌstɑɹ/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English super- + star.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In astronomy, a very large or bright celestial body, especially a very large star, 1910.[2][5] Etymonline notes that astronomers used it at this time, but rarely.[6]

Semantic evolution

The sense "an exceptionally famous performer" is recorded in 1914 in a Winnipeg newspaper,[2] the same year as Merriam-Webster's first date.[3] Etymonline finds it by 1919 for the vaudeville performer Gertrude Hoffmann and by 1920 in sport, of the baseball player Babe Ruth.[6] Dictionary.com dates it to 1920–25 and calls it an Americanism.[7] It was used attributively, as in superstar status, from 1915,[2][5] and figuratively for anyone or anything outstanding in a field.[2][3] Superstardom is from the late 20th century.[4]

Timeline

  • 1910 – a very large or bright star (astronomy).[2]
  • 1914 – an outstanding performer.[2][3]
  • 1915 – attributive use.[2]
  • 1919 – of the vaudeville star Gertrude Hoffmann.[6]
  • 1920 – in sport, of Babe Ruth.[6]
  • late 20th century – superstardom.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An extremely famous and popular performer or athlete.
  2. A person or thing that is outstandingly prominent or successful: a superstar of modern architecture.
  3. (astronomy) A very large or bright celestial body.

Word family

  • superstardom

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)
  6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
Cite this entry

“Superstar.” Etymologically, 22 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/superstar. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·