Illustration of cosmos
- cosmos 3
1
a
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: a complex orderly self-inclusive system
3
plural cosmos
ˈkäz-məs 
[New Latin, genus name, from Greek kosmos]
: any of a genus (Cosmos) of tropical American composite herbs
-məz
also cosmoses
ˈkäz-mə-səz
[New Latin, genus name, from Greek kosmos]
: any of a genus (Cosmos) of tropical American composite herbs
especially
: a widely cultivated tall annual (C. bipinnatus) with yellow or red disks and showy ray flowers
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Cosmos and the Universe
Cosmos often simply means "universe". But the word is generally used to suggest an orderly or harmonious universe, as it was originally used by Pythagoras in the 6th century B.C. Thus, a religious mystic may help put us in touch with the cosmos, and so may a physicist. The same is often true of the adjective cosmic: Cosmic rays (really particles rather than rays) bombard us from outer space, but cosmic questions come from human attempts to find order in the universe.
Examples of cosmos in a Sentence
the origins of the cosmos
an essay that ponders the place of humankind in the vast cosmos
Recent Examples on the Web
Like its historical predecessors, this mandala is a cosmic chart, but one of a cosmos in distress.
—
Holland Cotter, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Instead of operating in a predictable cosmos, global politics will be reshaped by the internal chaos of a new Trump administration, which will feed the chaos of the world outside, as businesses and governments alike try to respond to an unpredictable superpower.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
Furthermore, a disordered cosmos is one that’s increasingly filled with possibility.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
However, this movie has an undeniable asset: Cate Blanchett, one of the most undeniable stars in the entire cosmos.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cosmos 
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Holland Cotter, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Instead of operating in a predictable cosmos, global politics will be reshaped by the internal chaos of a new Trump administration, which will feed the chaos of the world outside, as businesses and governments alike try to respond to an unpredictable superpower.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
Furthermore, a disordered cosmos is one that’s increasingly filled with possibility.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
However, this movie has an undeniable asset: Cate Blanchett, one of the most undeniable stars in the entire cosmos.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cosmos
Dictionary Entries Near cosmos
Cite this Entry
“Cosmos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmos. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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