cosmology

IPA/kɒzˈmɒlədʒi/
KK[kɔzmˈɔlədʒi]IPA/kɑːzˈmɑːlədʒi/

cosmology — noun

  • cosmologysingular
  • cosmologiesplural

1. the scientific study of how the universe began, how it is organised, and how it

1.nounC1
Definition

the scientific study of how the universe began, how it is organised, and how it develops and changes over time

Example

Professor Klara Chen has taught |cosmology| at the university for fifteen years.

uncountable noun used for an academic field

Luis enjoys reading books on |cosmology| because he wants to understand how the universe works.

Common collocations
  • modern cosmology
  • theoretical cosmology
  • observational cosmology
  • physical cosmology
  • study cosmology
  • a course in cosmology
  • a professor of cosmology
  • advances in cosmology
Synonyms
  • astronomy

    broader field covering all celestial objects; cosmology is a sub-branch of astronomy

  • astrophysics

    focuses on the physical laws and processes of stars and planets, while cosmology looks at the big picture of the universe

Usage Note

Cosmology is an uncountable noun and is used with singular verbs. It refers to a specific academic discipline, not to general ideas about space or the night sky.

Common Mistakes

I want to study cosmology because I enjoy looking at stars.
I want to study astronomy because I enjoy looking at stars.
'Astronomy' is the general study of stars and planets; 'cosmology' is specifically about the universe's origin and structure as a whole.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three fields are easily confused. Astronomy is the broadest — it covers everything beyond Earth's atmosphere: stars, planets, comets, galaxies, and the methods used to study them. Cosmology is a branch of astronomy that asks the biggest questions: how did the universe begin, what is its overall shape, and how will it end? Astrophysics sits between the two — it applies the laws of physics (gravity, nuclear reactions, electromagnetism) to understand the behaviour of individual celestial objects. For example, an astrophysicist might study how a star produces energy, while a cosmologist studies the expansion of the whole universe. A learner wanting to describe a general interest in space should use astronomy; only specific questions about the origin of everything call for cosmology.

astronomy ↗astrophysics ↗cosmology ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • professor of cosmology
  • course in cosmology
  • book on cosmology
  • theory of cosmology
  • field of cosmology

Phrases

  • the study of cosmology
  • advances in cosmology

Prepositions

  • in cosmology
  • of cosmology

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

From Greek 'kosmos' meaning 'world, universe, order' and '-logia' meaning 'study of'. The word came into English through Latin and French in the 1600s, when scientists began to treat the universe as something that could be studied systematically rather than only through religion or philosophy.