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.
Neutrinos can be thought of as astronomical messengers that point to those fundamental events.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Numerous analysts covering SpaceX have floated astronomical valuations for the company, and one now says that the company’s latest rocket launch moves SpaceX closer to a lofty target.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Star running back Jadan Baugh squatted such an astronomical number—600 pounds—that the conditioning staff prohibited him from throwing any more weight on the machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Still, they coincide with bimonthly astronomical high tides, which means water levels already will be elevated, and erosion and flooding are more likely, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Almost half of our national flags exhibit astronomical symbols.
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.
