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”)

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

Dark matter is believed to be the glue that holds galaxies together, while dark energy pulls them apart by making the universe expand faster and faster over time.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Her groundbreaking 1925 thesis proposed that stars are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, a discovery that fundamentally changed scientific understanding of the universe, even though it was initially met with scepticism.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Researchers have taken a major step toward understanding how black holes influence the universe by directly measuring the power of their jets.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Baseball was an ideal alternative universe for Coover to use in 1968.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

At least no one’s around to see that—this epic failure is between me and the universe.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer