astronomical
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or connected with astronomy.
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extremely large; exceedingly great; enormous.
It takes an astronomical amount of money to build a car factory.
adjective
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enormously large; immense
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of or relating to astronomy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of astronomical
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin astronomic(us) (from Greek astronomikós ) + -al 1; see astronomy, -ic
Explanation
If you lie down on a big field or on a rooftop and look up, the sky is so wide and high, it is astronomical in size — bigger than huge. Everything in that sky, including the stars and planets, is also astronomical because it is part of a science called astronomy. Astra and aster are the Latin and Greek words for star, and the first four letters of astronomical, a-s-t-r, are a scramble of the word star. Astronomy includes the study of stars, but planets and other objects and happenings in space are also part of astronomical studies. Considering how large everything in space is, it makes sense that very, very large or uncountable things sometimes get the description astronomical.
Vocabulary lists containing astronomical
Eclipse Vocabulary
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From Ascension to Zenith: Astronomy and Stargazing Terms
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Elements of the Universe: Aster, Astro ("Star")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Southern Californian stargazers should get ready for a month packed with astronomical events, starting with fireballs and ending with a supermoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
His career usage rate is the highest in NBA history, according to Stats Perform, and this year it has climbed to an astronomical 40%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
"Not long ago, even the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange suffered astronomical losses from a cyberattack believed to have been carried out by a hacking group," President Lee Jae Myung said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Of course, in an industry in which astronomical figures are the norm, the prospect of paying a maximum of £3m for Howe may not be too problematic.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
He periodically checked their accuracy by taking a kind of astronomical reading called an occultation.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
