horoscope

American  

[hawr-uh-skohp, hor‑] / ˈhɔr əˌskoʊp, ˈhɒr‑ /

noun

1. a diagram of the heavens, showing the relative position of planets and the signs of the zodiac, for use in calculating births, foretelling events in a person's life, etc.

2. a prediction of future events or advice for future behavior based on such a diagram.

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horoscope British  

/ ˈhɒrəˌskəʊp, ˌhɒrəˈskɒpɪk /

noun

1. the prediction of a person's future based on a comparison of the zodiacal data for the time of birth with the data from the period under consideration

2. the configuration of the planets, the sun, and the moon in the sky at a particular moment

3. Also called: chart.  a diagram showing the positions of the planets, sun, moon, etc, at a particular time and place

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Other Word Forms

• horoscopic adjective
• unhoroscopic adjective

Etymology

Origin of horoscope

before 1050; Middle English, Old English horoscopus < Latin < Greek hōroskópos, equivalent to hōro-, combining form of hṓra hour + skópos -scope

Compare meaning

How does horoscope compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• horoscope vs. zodiac

Example Sentences

For most of my adult life, I have felt like that kind of “within” talk is fortune-cookie horoscope speak, signifying nothing.

From Salon

Even Lily seems to know this isn’t the time to chat about horoscopes.

From Literature

Henry Chen, born in 1990, the Year of the Horse, never took Chinese horoscopes too seriously.

From Los Angeles Times

But the country's most popular horoscope forecasting the Buddhist new year starting in early 2026, touted by street vendors nationwide in recent days, contains clashing portents.

From Barron's

Many critics noted that their work suffered from selection bias and determinism; a 1991 Newsweek article described it as “an elaborate historical horoscope that will never withstand scholarly scrutiny.”

From Salon

Related Words

• astrology