geocentric

American  

[jee-oh-sen-trik] / ˌdʒi oʊˈsɛn trɪk /

adjective

1. having or representing the earth as a center.

   a geocentric theory of the universe.

2. using the earth or earthly life as the only basis of evaluation.

3. viewed or measured as from the center of the earth.

   the geocentric position of the moon.

---

geocentric British  

/ ˌdʒiːəʊˈsɛntrɪk /

adjective

1. having the earth at its centre

   the Ptolemaic system postulated a geocentric universe

2. measured from or relating to the centre of the earth

---

geocentric Scientific  

/ jē′ō-sĕn′trĭk /

1. Relating to or measured from the Earth's center.

2. Relating to a model of the solar system or universe having the Earth as the center.

3. Compare heliocentric

---

Other Word Forms

• geocentrically adverb

Etymology

Origin of geocentric

First recorded in 1680–90; geo- + -centric

Compare meaning

How does geocentric compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• heliocentric vs. geocentric
• geodetic vs. geocentric

Explanation

Anything geocentric is focused on the earth. In an old-fashioned, geocentric model of the universe, the sun revolves around the earth. The word geocentric comes from the Greek roots geo-, "earth," and kentrikos, "pertaining to a center." So geocentric measurements in astronomy, for example, are based on their relation to the earth. And that antiquated model of the heavens with Earth at the center, with the sun and planets revolving around us? That was also geocentric.

Example Sentences

“And I discovered that we have a model of consciousness that’s outdated in the same way the geocentric model of the universe was outdated. This research will change the way we view our world.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025

Unfortunately, when we’re taught that there are only eight planets and these planets reign in their orbits, we’re hearkening back to the old geocentric concept.

From National Geographic • Feb. 16, 2024

Galileo noted the phases of Venus as he observed it early in the 17th century, and he used it as an argument against the then popular geocentric models of the solar system.

From Scientific American • Jun. 2, 2023

Furthermore, the geocentric perspective reinforced those philosophical and religious systems that taught the unique role of human beings as the central focus of the cosmos.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

This explained the motion of the planets in the heavens with incredible accuracy; no longer could astronomers object that the heliocentric system was inferior to the geocentric one.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife