heliocentrism

American  

[hee-lee-uh-sen-triz-uhm] / ˌhi li əˈsɛn trɪz əm /

noun

1. the astronomical theory in which the sun is at the center of a system that includes the earth and other planets, which revolve around it.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• heliocentrist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of heliocentrism

First recorded in 1875–80; heliocentr(ic) ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

Heliocentrism beats geocentrism, oxidation-reduction chemistry beats phlogiston, Einstein over Newton, plate tectonics, etc.

From Scientific American • Jun. 4, 2017

Heliocentrism, the doctrine that the earth revolves around the sun rather than vice versa, was announced by Copernicus in 1543 and championed by Galileo in the early sixteen-hundreds.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 29, 2016