horoscope

[ hawr-uh-skohp, hor‑ ]

noun

1. a diagram of the heavens, showing the relative position of planets and the signs of the zodiac, for use in calculating births, foretelling events in a person's life, etc.
2. a prediction of future events or advice for future behavior based on such a diagram.

horoscope

/ ˈhɒrəˌskəʊp; ˌhɒrəˈskɒpɪk /

noun

1. the prediction of a person's future based on a comparison of the zodiacal data for the time of birth with the data from the period under consideration
2. the configuration of the planets, the sun, and the moon in the sky at a particular moment
3. Also calledchart a diagram showing the positions of the planets, sun, moon, etc, at a particular time and place

Derived Forms

• horoscopic, adjective

Other Words From

• horo·scopic [hawr-, uh, -, skop, -ik, ‑-, skoh, -pik, hor-, uh, ‑], adjective
• unhor·o·scopic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of horoscope¹

before 1050; Middle English, Old English horoscopus < Latin < Greek hōroskópos, equivalent to hōro-, combining form of hṓra hour + skópos -scope

Word History and Origins

Origin of horoscope¹

Old English horoscopus, from Latin, from Greek hōroskopos ascendant birth sign, from hōra hour + -scope

Example Sentences

Some studies have linked belief in horoscopes and zodiac signs to "confirmation bias", the tendency to believe or remember information that aligns with our pre-existing beliefs, and interpret it selectively to support them.

From BBC

With no smartphone to scroll, she tried to find something to enjoy in the glossy pages — an article about flying fishes, the horoscopes, a feature on male yeast infections.

From Los Angeles Times

Using her fame to advocate for his methods, she eventually became the daily horoscope reader on Radio Monte Carlo.

From Los Angeles Times

Even casting the monarch’s horoscope was treasonous, and treason’s death sentence was hideous: women were burned alive, men were hanged, drawn, and quartered — hanged until almost dead, eviscerated while still alive, then chopped into pieces.

From Los Angeles Times

Diana says astrologers believe there's a "horoscope wheel" that changes according to people's year of birth, and Saturn takes "28, 29 years to go round this circle" and end up in the same spot again.

From BBC

Related Words

• astrology