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astrology

American  
[uh-strol-uh-jee] / əˈstrɒl ə dʒi /

noun

  1. the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs.

  2. Obsolete. the science of astronomy.

astrology British  
/ ˌæstrəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, əˈstrɒlədʒɪ /

noun

  1. the study of the motions and relative positions of the planets, sun, and moon, interpreted in terms of human characteristics and activities

  2. the primitive study of celestial bodies, which formed the basis of astronomy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
astrology Cultural  

  1. A study of the positions and relationships of the sun, moon, stars, and planets in order to judge their influence on human actions. Astrology, unlike astronomy, is not a scientific study and has been much criticized by scientists. (See zodiac (see also zodiac).)

Other Word Forms

  • astrologer noun
  • astrologic adjective
  • astrological adjective
  • astrologically adverb
  • astrologist noun
  • astrologous adjective

Etymology

Origin of astrology

1325–75; Middle English < Latin astrologia < Greek. See astro-, -logy

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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.

Others have turned toward astrology, a less scientific but increasingly popular way of divining meaning from the night sky.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

A music mode lets people give greater weight to musical tastes while seeking promising profiles, while a new astrology mode makes star signs a factor in the mix.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

I’m a little more grounded, a little less kooky, maybe a lot less kooky, but I’m into astrology, I’m into crystals, I’m into energy work, pretty much all the same things.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

In 2008, he co-authored a paper that challenged astrology using a statistical method.

From BBC • May 23, 2025

By the eighteenth century astrology itself was generally regarded as outdated.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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.