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
Sunshine Flint, Travel + Leisure, 25 Nov. 2023
The mystery of why a universe full of matter gravitationally attracting all other matter hasn't yet collapsed on itself has haunted astronomy at least since Isaac Newton's introduction of a universal law of gravitation.
—Richard Panek, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
Big telescopes on big launchers In 2021, the National Academies released a once-in-a-decade review of the top astronomy and astrophysics priorities for the US science community.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023
Texts from that period emphasize the need for the doctor to be highly learned, including being well read in philosophy, logic, arithmetic and astronomy.
—Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
My father had a medical degree but always loved astronomy.
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
This rapid growth of the satellite industry has come at a cost for astronomers and fans of the night sky, as two new studies and panels at an international astronomy conference stressed this week.
—Ramin Skibba, WIRED, 6 Oct. 2023
Understanding how dark matter and dark energy work have been some of the most long-standing challenges in modern astronomy.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
In fact, many of the physical sciences—such as astronomy and particle physics—rely on it as well, and can also suffer from replication difficulties.
—Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'astronomy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English astronomie "study of celestial bodies, including their possible influence on human affairs," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French astronomie, borrowed from Latin astronomia, borrowed from Greek astronomía "study of the stars, especially their movements," from astro- astro- + -nomia -nomy
12th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing astronomy
Dictionary Entries Near astronomy
Cite this Entry
“Astronomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astronomy. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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astronomy
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on astronomy
Nglish: Translation of astronomy for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of astronomy for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about astronomy
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