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.
VISTA, Calif.—It was only 9 a.m., but David Bronner, whose title is Cosmic Engagement Officer of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, had already picked two fights.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The University of Plymouth's Cosmic Dust in the City project aims to "inspire curiosity" and encourage people to scour gutters and rooftops safely in the quest for micrometeorites.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
The significance of the discovery placed the Cosmic Dawn Centre team on the front page of Nature, one of the world's most influential scientific journals.
From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026
Cideries are also embracing popular cultivars such as Cosmic Crisp, found in 2 Towns Ciderhouse’s subtly tart Cosmic Crisp, and the Honeycrisp apple.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
These were first detected in 1992 by the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite, or COBE, at a level of about one part in a hundred thousand.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
