heliocentrism

American  

[hee-lee-uh-sen-triz-uhm] / ˌhi li əˈsɛn trɪz əm /

noun

1. the astronomical theory in which the sun is at the center of a system that includes the earth and other planets, which revolve around it.

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Other Word Forms

• heliocentrist noun

Etymology

Origin of heliocentrism

First recorded in 1875–80; heliocentr(ic) ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

It named for Nicolaus Copernicus, the Renaissance proponent of heliocentrism, the theory that placed the sun rather than the Earth at the centre of the universe.

From Reuters

Both discoveries provided key evidence in favor of the model of heliocentrism, developed by Nicolaus Copernicus and published in 1543, which displaced the previous, dogmatic and incorrect, geocentric model of the universe.

From Scientific American

Belief in a heliocentric universe was not yet condemned by the Church: it was forbidden only in 1616 and remained so until 1758, when the Index omitted the general ban on books teaching heliocentrism; Copernicus himself continued to be banned until 1821.

From Literature

Copernicus’s disciple Rheticus, in the first published account of the Copernican theory, held back any reference to heliocentrism for as long as he possibly could, for fear of alienating his readers.

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