geocentrism

[ jeeoh-sen-triz-uhm ]

noun

1. a cosmological theory of the universe, disproved by Galileo, in which the earth is at the center and the sun and planets revolve around it. Compare heliocentrism ( def ).
2. the belief or attitude that the earth, its inhabitants, and their needs are the most important thing in the universe.

Other Words From

• ge·o·cen·trist ge·o·cen·tri·cist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of geocentrism¹

First recorded in 1880–85; 1915–20 geocentrism fordef 2; geocentr(ic) ( def ) + -ism ( def )

Example Sentences

Our galactic neighbors will not disappear if we ignore them, in much the same way that the Earth-sun system was under no obligation to satisfy the self-centered notion of geocentrism.

From Scientific American

Information-based theories of physics seem like a throwback to geocentrism, which assumed the universe revolves around us.

From Scientific American

Sacrobosco retained his position until, after 1611, Ptolemaic geocentrism was no longer intellectually respectable.

From Literature

With this chronology in mind, we can now address an important question: was Copernicus’s adoption of the terraqueous-globe theory the key event which led to his switch from geocentrism to heliocentrism?

From Literature

It is compatible with all sorts of different forms of new knowledge, with the geocentrism of Riccioli as well as the heliocentrism of Copernicus, with Descartes’ denial of a vacuum and Pascal’s acceptance of one, with Newton’s view of uniform space and time and Einstein’s theory of relativity; it does not lead of necessity to any particular type of science.

From Literature