geocentrism

American  

[jeeoh-sen-triz-uhm] / ˌdʒioʊˈsɛn trɪz əm /

Also geocentricism

noun

1. a cosmological theory of the universe, disproved by Galileo, in which the earth is at the center and the sun and planets revolve around it.

2. the belief or attitude that the earth, its inhabitants, and their needs are the most important thing in the universe.

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Other Word Forms

• geocentricist noun
• geocentrist noun

Etymology

Origin of geocentrism

First recorded in 1880–85; 1915–20 geocentrism for def. 2; geocentr(ic) ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

Our galactic neighbors will not disappear if we ignore them, in much the same way that the Earth-sun system was under no obligation to satisfy the self-centered notion of geocentrism.

From Scientific American

Information-based theories of physics seem like a throwback to geocentrism, which assumed the universe revolves around us.

From Scientific American

It is precisely because the Duhem-Quine thesis, so interpreted, cannot handle either the demise of the two spheres theory or of Ptolemaic geocentrism that these crucial historical events have been invisible to those who are convinced of the truth of the thesis.

From Literature

With this chronology in mind, we can now address an important question: was Copernicus’s adoption of the terraqueous-globe theory the key event which led to his switch from geocentrism to heliocentrism?

From Literature

Sacrobosco retained his position until, after 1611, Ptolemaic geocentrism was no longer intellectually respectable.

From Literature