Illustration of cosmos
- cosmos 3
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a
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: a complex orderly self-inclusive system
3
plural cosmos
ˈkäz-məs 
[New Latin, genus name, from Greek kosmos]
: any of a genus (Cosmos) of tropical American composite herbs
-məz
also cosmoses
ˈkäz-mə-səz
[New Latin, genus name, from Greek kosmos]
: any of a genus (Cosmos) of tropical American composite herbs
especially
: a widely cultivated tall annual (C. bipinnatus) with yellow or red disks and showy ray flowers
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Cosmos and the Universe
Cosmos often simply means "universe". But the word is generally used to suggest an orderly or harmonious universe, as it was originally used by Pythagoras in the 6th century B.C. Thus, a religious mystic may help put us in touch with the cosmos, and so may a physicist. The same is often true of the adjective cosmic: Cosmic rays (really particles rather than rays) bombard us from outer space, but cosmic questions come from human attempts to find order in the universe.
Examples of cosmos in a Sentence
the origins of the cosmos
an essay that ponders the place of humankind in the vast cosmos
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Hawking soon extended Penrose’s argument to the early universe, proving (opens a new tab) that a cosmos described by general relativity must have sprung from a singular point during the Big Bang.
—
Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 27 May 2025
As Penrose knew, nothing stands still in our cosmos, not even black holes.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2025
The resulting Hubble Deep Field image revealed about 3,000 distant galaxies, offering humanity's first profound look into the universe's true immensity and revealing a cosmos teeming with galaxies, even at extreme distances.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Eos may not see the dawn of new stars, but its existence is testament to a greater dawn, going all the way back to near the beginning of the universe, in which stars have brought daylight to a dark cosmos.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cosmos
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Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 27 May 2025
As Penrose knew, nothing stands still in our cosmos, not even black holes.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2025
The resulting Hubble Deep Field image revealed about 3,000 distant galaxies, offering humanity's first profound look into the universe's true immensity and revealing a cosmos teeming with galaxies, even at extreme distances.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Eos may not see the dawn of new stars, but its existence is testament to a greater dawn, going all the way back to near the beginning of the universe, in which stars have brought daylight to a dark cosmos.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cosmos
Cite this Entry
“Cosmos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmos. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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