light year

Definitions

1. A unit of length (abbreviation ly; equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres (10¹⁶ metres)) equal to the distance light travels in one Julian year; used to measure extremely large distances.
2. A very long way.
   figuratively, in-plural, informal
3. A very long time.
   figuratively, in-plural, informal

Equivalents

Examples

“We live⟳ our lives in three dimensions for our threescore and ten allotted years. Yet every branch of contemporary science, from statistics to cosmology, alludes to processes that operate⟳ on scales outside of human experience⟳: the millisecond and the nanometer, the eon and the light-year.”

“The marathon runner in the lead⟳ is light⟳ years ahead of the one at the back.”

“Now that they've graduated, they'll have⟳ to make⟳ some mature decisions in their future. One of which? Settling on their signature scent that is lightyears away from the $10 body spray they had throughout school.”

“Some of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions were light⟳ years ahead of their time.”

CEFR level