universe

American  

[yoo-nuh-vurs] / ˈyu nəˌvɜrs /

noun

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

• subuniverse noun
• superuniverse noun

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”)

Example Sentences

And as issuance of bonds ramped up, prices dropped as investors demanded relatively more yield versus the broader bond universe, JPMorgan analysts found.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But we are a universe of cultures and different sounds.”

From Los Angeles Times

This land bridge between east and west, he said, would be the “key to the universe” for how it could control global trade flows.

From The Wall Street Journal

Due to the expansion of the universe, that wavelength was stretched to nearly five times its original value, placing it in the near-infrared, a process called cosmological redshift.

From Science Daily

It became a major franchise for the platform, a chance to build a universe around its central characters and create its own version of “Star Wars.”

From Los Angeles Times