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

Einstein's general theory of relativity, meanwhile, describes gravity and the behavior of space and time on much larger scales, including planets, stars, galaxies and even the universe itself.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

AI has already started to take hold in the deals universe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

It makes other recent relationship scandals in the reality TV universe seem quaint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

He said Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was "living in a different universe", and argued that the main group who would face hardship as a result were the hundreds of Palestinians who were employed in them.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

I can’t take her with me … or else the universe will unravel.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

“Under Story,” Benjamin’s greatly anticipated follow-up to her breakout hit, is an ambitious and fantasy-inflected adventure story that unfolds in parallel universes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

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

If a vacation or road trip isn’t in the cards this summer, you can still be transported to far-away places and alternate universes, like in ‘Spider-Noir,’ ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and ‘Lanterns.’

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

What different universes existed within this one world of ours!

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo