Copernican

adjective

Co·​per·​ni·​can kə-ˈpər-ni-kən How to pronounce Copernican (audio)
kō-
1
: of or relating to Copernicus or the belief that the earth rotates daily on its axis and the planets revolve in orbits around the sun
2
: of radical or major importance or degree
effected a Copernican revolution in philosophyThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
Copernican noun
Copernicanism noun

Examples of Copernican in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The Copernican revolution told us Earth is not the center of the solar system. Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, 25 June 2024 In 1610, aided by the emergence of telescopes, Galileo Galilei famously observed Jupiter's four largest moons, thereby bolstering the Copernican heliocentric model of the solar system. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 June 2024 Catholic controversy and confrontation Galileo was ordered to appear before the Holy Office to face charges related to his advocating for the Copernican theory and his belief in the Earth's movement around the sun, a stance the Catholic Church deemed heretical. Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 Years later, Galileo faced charges for believing and advocating for the Copernican theory — the idea that the Earth revolves around the sun. Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2024 From the Copernican heliocentric model of the universe and electricity to penicillin and the discovery of the structure of DNA, these developments transform our globe — and another one has been reached. Deborah Wince-Smith, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 It's been a Copernican moment, akin to the demotion of the Earth from the center of the universe. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2023 By the 1950s, the traditional Copernican orrery was in need of an electronic upgrade. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2023 Raskin believes that the ability to eavesdrop on animals will spur nothing less than a paradigm shift as historically significant as the Copernican revolution. Camille Bromley, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Nicolaus Copernicus

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Copernican was in 1667

Dictionary Entries Near Copernican

Cite this Entry

“Copernican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Copernican. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Copernican

adjective
Co·​per·​ni·​can kō-ˈpər-ni-kən How to pronounce Copernican (audio)
kə-
: of or relating to Copernicus or his theory that the earth rotates daily on its axis and the planets revolve in orbits around the sun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!