An extremely famous and successful performer, athlete, or celebrity who is admired by millions of people.
A compound of 'super-' (above, beyond) and 'star' (a famous person). The term emerged in the 1960s-70s with the rise of mass media and celebrity culture, popularized by rock music and sports.
The word 'superstar' is barely 50 years old but feels ancient—it's a perfect example of how modern celebrity created demand for a new word because regular 'star' just wasn't enough to describe global fame at an unprecedented scale.
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