[koz-mol-uh-jee] Pronunciation Key | 1. | the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin and general structure of the universe, with its parts, elements, and laws, and esp. with such of its characteristics as space, time, causality, and freedom. |
| 2. | the branch of astronomy that deals with the general structure and evolution of the universe. |
—Related forms
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
| cos·mol·o·gy
(kŏz-mŏl'ə-jē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. cos·mol·o·gies
cos'mo·log'ic (-mə-lŏj'ĭk), cos'mo·log'i·cal adj., cos'mo·log'i·cal·ly adv., cos·mol'o·gist n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| cosmology | |
noun | |
| 1. | the metaphysical study of the origin and nature of the universe |
| 2. | the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe |
cosmology
(kŏz-mŏl'ə-jē) Pronunciation Key
|
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
cosmology [(koz-mol-uh-jee)]
A system of beliefs that seeks to describe or explain the origin and structure of the universe. A cosmology attempts to establish an ordered, harmonious framework that integrates time, space, the planets, stars, and other celestial phenomena. In so-called primitive societies, cosmologies help explain the relationship of human beings to the rest of the universe and are therefore closely tied to religious beliefs and practices. In modern industrial societies, cosmologies seek to explain the universe through astronomy and mathematics. Metaphysics also plays a part in the formation of cosmologies. (See also under “Physical Sciences and Mathematics.”)
[Chapter:] Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
cosmology [(koz-mol-uh-jee)]
The branch of science dealing with the large-scale structure, origins, and development of the universe. (See astronomy and Big Bang theory.)
[Chapter:] Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cosmology
Cos*mol"o*gy\ (k[o^]z*m[o^]l"[-o]*j[y^]), n. [Gr. ko`smos the world + -logy: cf. F. cosmologie.] The science of the world or universe; or a treatise relating to the structure and parts of the system of creation, the elements of bodies, the modifications of material things, the laws of motion, and the order and course of nature.
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