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Synonyms

cosmonaut

American  
[koz-muh-nawt, -not] / ˈkɒz məˌnɔt, -ˌnɒt /

noun

  1. a Russian or Soviet astronaut.


cosmonaut British  
/ ˈkɒzməˌnɔːt /

noun

  1. an astronaut, esp in the former Soviet Union

"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

cosmonaut Cultural  
  1. A crew member of a space mission launched by the former Soviet Union.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of cosmonaut

1955–60; cosmo- + (aero)naut, representing Russian kosmonávt

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Vocabulary lists containing cosmonaut

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.

In March 1995 Valeri Polyakov, a Russian cosmonaut, returned to Earth after a record 14 consecutive months in space.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

This late uncertainty is just the most recent twist for the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, which includes Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Fedyaev will make history as the first cosmonaut to fly twice on Dragon.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026

The astronauts, Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japan's Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, arrived on the ISS on 1 August expecting to complete a standard six and a half month stay.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

The following day, she volunteered to be a cosmonaut.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

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