inflationary universe

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. a version of the big bang theory in which the universe underwent very rapid growth during the first fraction of a second before it settled down to its current rate of expansion.

---

inflationary universe British  

noun

1. a variation of the cosmological big-bang theory in which the early stage of the evolution of the universe is postulated to include a period of accelerated expansion

---

inflationary universe Cultural  

1. A period early in the big bang during which the universal expansion proceeded at a much more rapid rate that it did before or since. Cosmologists believe that most of the matter in the universe was created during the period of inflation.

---

Example Sentences

The currently popular inflationary universe theory, which explains the “fix” as resulting from a sudden burst of accelerating expansion in the first split second of cosmic existence, provided additional fertile ground for Barrow’s theoretical explorations.

From Scientific American • Oct. 10, 2020

The inflationary universe is identical to the Big Bang universe for all time after the first 10–30 second.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

Dana: The viral video of Stanford professor Andrei Linde celebrating an astrophysics discovery that vindicates his theory of an inflationary universe.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2014

“In some,” says MIT’s Alan Guth, who was one of the inflationary universe theory’s original inventors, “the waves are so weak they could never be detected. To see them turn up is beautiful.”

From Time • Mar. 17, 2014

I gave the same seminar about the problems of the inflationary universe, just as in Moscow.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking