cosmos

noun

cos·mos ˈkäz-məs

senses 1 & 2 also -ˌmōs,

-ˌmäs

Synonyms of cosmos next

: universe sense 1

b(1)

: an orderly harmonious systematic universe compare chaos

(2)

: order, harmony

: a complex orderly self-inclusive system

plural cosmos ˈkäz-məs

-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.

Example Sentences

the origins of the cosmos an essay that ponders the place of humankind in the vast cosmos

Recent Examples on the Web Here are three highlights from Universal Harmonies, each of them bringing to life one facet of our dynamic cosmos. —

Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2023 A number of these suggest an energized, explosive cosmos: darkness suffused with light. —

Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2022 Their dominant shapes are pristine and eternal, but those perfect circles are lapped by blobs, blotches and squiggles that represent a cosmos in constant flux. —

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2023 Perhaps our cosmos, complete with our hundred billion stars per galaxy and the hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe, is nothing more than a snow globe on some alien creature’s mantel. —

Neil Degrasse Tyson, WSJ, 17 Sep. 2022 But regardless of your relationship status, the cosmos now encourage you to seek true harmony, balance, and grace. —

Women's Health, 7 Feb. 2023 For millennia, humans have been drawn to explore the cosmos. —

Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2023 The cosmos seems to have a preference for things that are round. —

Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 24 Jan. 2023 Plus, dark rocks from the cosmos are easy to spot amid the pale icescape, and a general lack of terrestrial rocks limits look-alikes from our own planet. —

Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cosmos.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.