cosmic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the cosmos.
cosmic laws.
-
characteristic of the cosmos or its phenomena.
cosmic events.
-
immeasurably extended in time and space; vast.
- Synonyms:
- stupendous, enormous, immense
-
forming a part of the material universe, especially outside of the earth.
adjective
-
of or relating to the whole universe
cosmic laws
-
occurring or originating in outer space, esp as opposed to the vicinity of the earth, the solar system, or the local galaxy
cosmic rays
-
immeasurably extended in space or time; vast
-
rare harmonious
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cosmic
1640–50; < Greek kosmikós worldly, universal, equivalent to kósm ( os ) world, arrangement + -ikos -ic
Explanation
If it has to do with the universe, it's cosmic. The planets, for instance, are cosmic bodies. When you use the word cosmic to describe something big, you often use it with the word, proportions. A big mistake might be an error of cosmic proportions. In the 1960s, when humankind had been exploring space for about 10 years, the word cosmic became commonly used to describe things that might be considered "far out" or groovy. Like wow, man!
Vocabulary lists containing cosmic
Elements of the Universe: Cosm, Cosmo ("Universe")
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The Launch of Sputnik 1
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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
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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.
Detecting such a weak signal is difficult because it could easily be buried beneath radiation from other sources, including cosmic rays.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
It keeps people anchored to Earth, guides planets around the Sun, helps gather stars into galaxies, and plays a central role in shaping the enormous cosmic web of galaxy clusters that stretches across the universe.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
When Aggrey discovered that a total solar eclipse would be visible in Valencia, Spain in August, he made a last-minute trip across the border to photograph the cosmic event.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
"For the first time, we have shown that black holes influence the broader cosmic environment through a shock wave of astonishing power," adds Yamada.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
In detecting the cosmic background radiation, in counting quasars, in searching for intelligent signals from space, radio astronomers are dealing with amounts of energy that are barely there at all.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions 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.
