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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

Crew members from "Star Trek" will also land in San Diego on Saturday, to commemorate six decades of exploring the far reaches of the universe.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Because this is the fate of most stars, white dwarfs are among the most common stellar remnants in the universe.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

He called optical components “the most interesting subsector” when evaluating a pullback in the broader semiconductor universe.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Like their high school characters, Locke and Connor are ready to graduate from the “Heartstopper” universe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

He’d mostly say things that made no sense, or speak so low I couldn’t hear what he was telling me—but sometimes he’d whisper secrets about the universe.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

“It’s going to be really cool to have the comic book store be more dimensional since in the different universes, the comic book store is different,” says Sussman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026

Though not a sequel, “The Midnight Train” also plays with multiple universes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 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

It may be that our universe is merely part of many larger universes, some in different dimensions, and that Big Bangs are going on all the time all over the place.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson