Aries

Aries is the name of a constellation that is interpreted as resembling a ram. It can also be referred to as the Ram.

A constellation is a group of stars that appear near each other in the sky—especially a group that has been given a name. Aries is considered one of the 12 zodiacal constellations—constellations that appear within a particular portion of the sky called the zodiac.

In astronomy, the zodiac is the band of sky along which the paths of the sun, the moon, and the planets appear to move.

Despite its basis in astronomy, the word zodiac is mainly associated with and most often used in the context of astrology, the nonscientific practice in which the positions of heavenly bodies at certain times are thought to influence or be correlated with human behavior and events. In astrology, zodiac refers to a diagram (often a circular one) representing the zodiac belt and showing the symbols associated with each of the 12 constellations or sections, which are called the signs of the zodiac. Aries is one of these signs. It is situated between Pisces and Taurus and is considered the first sign of the zodiac.

The other signs of the zodiac are Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius.

The position of the sun in a particular portion of the zodiac at the moment of a person’s birth is thought to correlate with their personality. This is what people are referring to when they talk about their zodiac sign (or star sign or often just sign). People whose sign is Aries are those born between March 21 and April 19.

The word Aries can be used as a noun to refer to someone who is born during this time, as in I was born in late March, so I’m an Aries. The word Arien can be used to mean the same thing. It can also be used as an adjective form of Aries.

Aries should not be confused with Ares, the name of the Greek god of war.

Example: My favorite constellation is Aries, and not just because I’m an Aries!

People with the sign Aries are traditionally considered to be those born in the range of March 21–April 19. However, interpretations vary.

The first records of the word Aries in English come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin word meaning “ram.”

In astrology, the different signs of the zodiac are thought to be associated with certain personality traits. Traits associated with Aries include determination and impatience. Aries and the other signs of the zodiac are often used in the context of a person’s horoscope. The word horoscope can refer to a diagram of the heavens that maps the relative position of planets and the signs of the zodiac. It can also refer to a prediction based (or said to be based) on a person’s sign and the location of other celestial bodies at the time they were born.

The constellation Aries is associated with the Ancient Greek myth of the Golden Fleece, in which the hero Jason and his crew of Argonauts have to find the Golden Fleece so that Jason can claim his rightful throne.

Get more insight into what really defines an Aries by visiting our article on the many traits of Aries.

What are some other forms related to Aries?

• Arien (noun, adjective)

What are some synonyms for Aries?

• the Ram
• Arien

What are some words that often get used in discussing Aries?

• constellation
• zodiac
• sign
• sign of the zodiac
• zodiacal constellation
• March
• April
• first
• ram
• astrology
• astronomy

What are some words Aries may be commonly confused with?

• Ares

The word Aries is used to refer to the constellation or the sign of the zodiac named after the constellation. In the context of astrology, people associate a number of different traits with the sign Aries.

#Today Chandra is studying an object in the constellation #Aries. Nearby in the sky are NGC 678 and NGC 680, a pair of galaxies separated by roughly 200,000 light years. The gravitational influence of spiral galaxy NGC 678 has distorted its elliptical next-door neighbor, NGC 680. pic.twitter.com/7zuqY3Kota

— Chandra Observatory (@chandraxray) March 24, 2020

maybe my mum is so into astrology because her sun sign is aries and she’s the epitome of an aries

— cariad / iris 🦚 (@illballerina) March 8, 2021

Sometimes I wonder if my mom and I would have been friends if we were the same age…I think she's way cooler than me but also shes a Sagittarius and I'm an Aries so it'd be fun, I think lol pic.twitter.com/bPHPAsq2iT

— Maya Murillo (@mayainthemoment) November 17, 2020

True or False?

Aries is the considered first sign of the zodiac.