Copernican
Americanadjective
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of or relating to Copernicus or his theories.
-
important and radically different; thoroughgoing.
a Copernican revolution in modern art.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Copernican
First recorded in 1660–70; Copernic(us) + -an
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.
They refer to this broader idea as the "Copernican principle of consciousness."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026
Its five time periods include the Pre-Nectarian, Nectarian, Imbrian, Eratosthenian and Copernican.
From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2023
Believe it or not, the Copernican principle doesn’t even end there.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 19, 2023
Finding a way around this thermodynamic conundrum would truly require a Copernican revolution in our understanding of physics.
From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2022
Although still extremely cautious about what he put down in print, he began to talk more openly about Copernican ideas following his success in Rome.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
