cosmology

noun cos·mol·o·gy \ käz-ˈmä-lə-jē \

Definition of cosmology

plural cosmologies

1 a :a branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of the universe

b :a theory or doctrine describing the natural order of the universe

2 :a branch of astronomy that deals with the origin, structure, and space-time relationships of the universe; also :a theory dealing with these matters

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cosmological

play \ˌkäz-mə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ adjective

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cosmologically

play \ˌkäz-mə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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cosmologist

play \käz-ˈmä-lə-jist\ noun

See cosmology defined for English-language learners

See cosmology defined for kids

Recent Examples of cosmology from the Web

Such work might seem abstruse to outsiders, but uses abound, from cosmology to cryptography.

— The Economist, "Adding upObituary: Maryam Mirzakhani died on July 14th," 20 July 2017
The game of cosmology in the latter half of the 20th century was to go deep.

— paul sutter astrophysicist, Fox News, "Does dark energy exist?," 30 June 2017
KATRIN may not be sensitive enough to provide an answer, results from cosmology suggest.

— adrian cho, Science | AAAS, "Weighing the universe's most elusive particle," 29 June 2017
Some have even compared the cosmology of the Zohar to the conception of the universe suggested by quantum physics, string theory in particular.

— alexander nazaryan, Newsweek, "Zohar's Translation Unlocks the Secrets of Jewish Mysticism in an Age of Extremism," 28 June 2017
In the letter below, a group of 33 physicists who study inflationary cosmology respond to that article.

— Scientific American, "Readers Respond to the February and March 2017 Issues," 26 June 2017
Japan’s most sacred shrine complex, dating back to the third century and considered the spiritual home of Shinto cosmology—was the most popular pilgrimage by far.

— adam h. graham, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Ise-Shima Peninsula Is a Portal Into Old Japan," 2 June 2017
The paper also notes that a cold region of this size could occur by chance within our standard model of cosmology—with a 1%-2% likelihood.

— ivan baldry, Scientific American, "Could Cold Spot in the Sky Be a Bruise from a Collision with a Parallel Universe?," 2 June 2017
In this unforgiving cosmology, there isn’t much room for forces that aren’t so amenable to an individual’s will — and sure enough, there isn’t much room for them in Sasse’s book either.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "To Make America Great Again, Give Your Kids Chores," 15 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cosmology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

cosmology and Star Trek

Most religions and cultures include some kind of cosmology to explain the nature of the universe. In modern astronomy, the leading cosmology is still the Big Bang theory, which claims that the universe began with a huge explosion that sent matter and energy spreading out in all directions. One reason why fans watch Star Trek is for the various cosmologies depicted in the show, including different conceptions of space, time, and the meaning of life.