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

Also, live demonstrations of Nikola Tesla’s lightning machine, magic and talks, one featuring a chief engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that’ll delve into the mysteries of the universe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Speaking publicly for the first time since the shooting, Becca Good told a news conference on the lawsuits on Thursday: "The whole world had to watch as our entire universe was destroyed."

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

In New York, the same universe of botanical abundance, deities and searching eyes suggests paradise found.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Within the U.S. junk-bond universe, he said he prefers higher-quality assets, while the selloff in safer Treasurys has him eyeing opportunities to extend duration into longer-term government debt.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

“Set your intention. Proclaim to the universe what you will be,” Lita says.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

For Gallo and his team of Aditya Aney, Tao Pan and William Koor, “both the AI and private credit universes face significant volatility.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026

“They give us access to these universes that millions of people love and are really invested in,” Ferreira said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 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