universe

American  

[yoo-nuh-vurs] / ˈju nəˌvɜrs /

noun

universes plural

1. the universe. the totality of known or supposed objects and phenomena throughout space; the cosmos; macrocosm.

2. the whole world, especially with reference to humanity.

   a truth known throughout the universe.

3. a world or sphere in which something exists or prevails.

   his private universe.

4. in New Age philosophy and popular culture, a divine but nonpersonal being, consciousness, or field of energy believed to connect everything that is, allowing the interaction of the physical with the spiritual and thought with reality.

5. Also called universe of discourse.  Logic. the aggregate of all the objects, attributes, and relations assumed or implied in a given discussion.

6. Also called universal set.  Mathematics. the set of all elements under discussion for a given problem.

7. Statistics. the entire population under study.

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universe British  

/ ˈjuːnɪˌvɜːs /

noun

1. astronomy the aggregate of all existing matter, energy, and space

2. human beings collectively

3. a province or sphere of thought or activity

4. statistics another word for population

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universe Scientific  

/ yo̅o̅′nə-vûrs′ /

1. The totality of matter, energy, and space, including the Solar System, the galaxies, and the contents of the space between the galaxies. Current theories of cosmology suggest that the universe is constantly expanding.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subuniverse
  noun
• superuniverse
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• universes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of universe

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French univers, from Latin ūniversum, noun use of neuter of ūniversus “all, entire,” literally, “turned into one,” from ūni- uni- + versus “turned” (past participle of vertere “to turn”)

Explanation

Universe is a big word — in fact, it includes all matter and all of space. We can't see or know much about the outer limits of the universe, but we know that it has them, and the idea of matter contained within boundaries gives us other meanings for the word. You might refer to a "universe of ideas," or when conducting a scientific study, create "a universe of data." Universe can also mean a defined set of something — the five blocks between the playground and home can be the whole universe for a small child.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

universe universes

You’re not just demanding the universe to give you something just because you say it enough times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Apple finally overthrew Nvidia to reclaim the title of the world’s largest company by market capitalization, underscoring the dramatic degree to which the iPhone maker’s stock is clobbering the broader technology universe.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

And, in real time, we’re watching wannabe masters of the AI universe try to win an upper hand in controlling the new technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

"Star Trek" legend George Takei on Saturday headlined a 60th anniversary celebration of the groundbreaking sci-fi series at Comic-Con, which featured stars from across the Starship Enterprise's expanded universe of films and shows.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

He wished he had an EGG and could disappear to another universe.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Surely literature is a path to discovering other sensibilities, other universes; “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” by contrast, is about people essentially saying, “This book is meaningful because it reminds me of my life.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The process begins with scientists generating large numbers of simulated universes based on physical models.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026

That may help explain how we wound up with “Alice in Wonderland”-style competing proclamations that made it sound as if Xi and Trump had been in different conversations, or perhaps different universes.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

“Across large-cap, small-cap, and broad-market universes, stocks that double rapidly tend to underperform over the subsequent 36 months,” they wrote.

From Barron's ● Apr. 6, 2026

When we make first contact with the aliens in other universes and jabber at them in our local code, they cannot understand us without a sci-fi Universal Translator.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker