astronaut

IPA/ˈæstrənɔːt/
KK[ˈæstrənˌɑt]IPA/ˈæstrənɔːt/

astronaut — noun

  • astronautsingular
  • astronautsplural

1. someone who has learned how to fly to outer space and work there, usually as par

1.nounA2
Definition

someone who has learned how to fly to outer space and work there, usually as part of a national or private space program.

Example

Akiko has wanted to be an astronaut since she watched the moon landing on TV.

career aspiration: be / become an astronaut

The three astronauts spent six months on the International Space Station before returning home.

plural with specific number; collocation: spent ... on the space station

Common collocations
  • become an astronaut
  • train to be an astronaut
  • veteran astronaut
  • rookie astronaut
  • astronaut crew
Synonyms
  • spaceman

    informal and somewhat dated; used in everyday speech, often by children

  • cosmonaut

    the word used for Russian space travellers

  • taikonaut

    the word used for Chinese space travellers

  • space traveller

    general descriptive term, sometimes used for tourists who go to space

Grammar Patterns

countable noun

Usage Note

Countable noun, almost always used of people working for an organised space program. American English uses 'astronaut'; Russian programs use 'cosmonaut' and Chinese programs use 'taikonaut' for the same role.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is an astronaut pilot for the airline.
My uncle is an airline pilot.
astronauts fly spacecraft, not aeroplanes; don't use the word for ordinary aviation jobs.
She studies astronaut at university.
She studies astronomy at university.
'astronaut' is the person; 'astronomy' is the subject.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe people who travel into space, but each one signals where the program is based or what register the speaker is using. 'Astronaut' is the standard word in English-speaking countries and is used for crew from NASA, ESA, JAXA, and most private companies such as SpaceX. 'Cosmonaut' refers specifically to Russian (and earlier Soviet) space travellers — Yuri Gagarin is always called a cosmonaut, never an astronaut. 'Taikonaut' is a newer English word for Chinese space travellers, built from the Mandarin word 太空 (taikong, 'space'). 'Spaceman' is informal, sometimes childish, and rarely appears in news reports; you might see it in cartoons or hear a small child use it. In formal writing, match the word to the country: 'The American astronaut and the Russian cosmonaut shook hands in orbit.'

astronaut ↗cosmonaut ↗taikonautspaceman ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • astronaut training
  • astronaut crew
  • astronaut candidate
  • astronaut suit

Phrases

  • become an astronaut
  • train as an astronaut
  • veteran astronaut
  • first female astronaut

Prepositions

  • astronaut on (a mission)
  • astronaut from (a country / agency)

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

Built in the 1920s from two Greek roots: 'astron' meaning 'star' and 'nautes' meaning 'sailor' — so literally a 'star sailor'. The word follows the same pattern as 'aeronaut' (a balloon or airship pilot), which was already in English. It came into wide use in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the United States started its human spaceflight program, and 'astronaut' became the official job title for NASA crew members.