heliocentric

American  

[hee-lee-oh-sen-trik] / ˌhi li oʊˈsɛn trɪk /

adjective

Astronomy.

1. measured or considered as being seen from the center of the sun.

2. having or representing the sun as a center.

   the heliocentric concept of the universe.

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heliocentric British  

/ ˌhiːlɪəʊˈsɛntrɪk /

adjective

1. having the sun at its centre

2. measured from or in relation to the centre of the sun

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heliocentric Scientific  

/ hē′lē-ō-sĕn′trĭk /

1. Relating to or measured from the center of the Sun.

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

3. Compare geocentric See Note at Copernicus

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Other Word Forms

• heliocentrically adverb
• heliocentricism noun
• heliocentricity noun

Etymology

Origin of heliocentric

First recorded in 1660–70; helio- + -centric

Compare meaning

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

• heliocentric vs. geocentric

Explanation

Anything that's heliocentric has a sun at its center. Since our solar system is heliocentric, the Earth revolves around the sun (and not the other way around, as people in the Middle Ages believed). Heliocentric has been used since the late 17th century — though Copernicus theorized that the planets revolve around the sun, rather than around the earth, in the early 1500s. Religious scholars objected strongly to this idea, and there was general resistance for over 100 years, until the science of a heliocentric model finally won out. The Greek roots of heliocentric are hēlios, "sun," and kentrikos, "pertaining to a center."

Example Sentences

For example, the rejection of the heliocentric model of the solar system with one that accurately places the sun at its center.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2025

Such a heliocentric shift would have greatly limited the mission’s scientific output, says Jim Green, NASA’s former chief scientist and former head of its planetary science efforts.

From Scientific American • Oct. 3, 2023

When Galileo started turning telescopes on the heavens in the early 1600s, the heliocentric model caught on—which, “for many people, made astrology a bit less likely,” Campion says.

From National Geographic • Aug. 24, 2023

Asked what best suits the Clippers’ heliocentric, high-usage offense, he described an operator similar to “kind of like how Mario Chalmers was with the Heat,” Wall said at the team’s shootaround Thursday in Milwaukee.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2023

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