astronomy
noun
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The Difference Between Astronomy and Astrology
Some may find it easy to confuse astronomy and astrology. At one time, these two words actually were synonymous (that is, astronomy once meant what astrology means today), but they have since moved apart from each other. In current use, astronomy is concerned with “the study of objects and matter outside the earth's atmosphere,” while astrology is the purported divination of how stars and planets influence our lives. Put bluntly, astronomy is a science, and astrology is not.
Examples of astronomy in a Sentence
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
The project also received a high ranking in 2021 from the U.S. astronomy and astrophysics community via a similar but separate process, the Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020 (Astro2020) .
—Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 22 July 2025
The lobby doubles as a living room where bookshelves are stocked with titles on birding, astronomy, geology, hiking, philosophy, and nature.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, AFAR Media, 21 July 2025
Over dessert, Adams explained her specialty, cultural astronomy.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for astronomy
Cite this Entry
“Astronomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astronomy. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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astronomy
noun
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