[yoo-nuh-vurs] 
| 1. | the totality of known or supposed objects and phenomena throughout space; the cosmos; macrocosm. |
| 2. | the whole world, esp. with reference to humanity: a truth known throughout the universe. |
| 3. | a world or sphere in which something exists or prevails: his private universe. |
| 4. | Also called universe of discourse. Logic. the aggregate of all the objects, attributes, and relations assumed or implied in a given discussion. |
| 5. | Also called universal set. Mathematics. the set of all elements under discussion for a given problem. |
| 6. | Statistics. the entire population under study. |
| universe of discourse n. Logic A class containing all the entities referred to in a discourse or an argument. Also called universe. |
universe (y 'nə-vûrs') Pronunciation Key
The totality of matter, energy, and space, including the Solar System, the galaxies, and the contents of the space between the galaxies. Current theories of cosmology suggest that the universe is constantly expanding. |
universe of discourse ontology
In ontology, the set of all entities that can be represented in some declarative language or other formal system.
Each entity is represented by a name and may have some human-readable description of its meaning. Formal axioms constrain the interpretation and well-formed use of these names.
(2005-07-29)