What does "cosmos" mean?
The universe regarded as a system with harmony and order.
Cosmos
/ˈkɒzmɒs/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The universe regarded as a system with harmony and order.
- Grammar: cosmos is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: existence, universe, all, all being.
- Useful contrasts: chaos, disorder, tiamat.
- Usage evidence: I happen to prefer champagne to ditchwater, but there is no reason to suppose that the cosmos does.
How to use "cosmos"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cosmos" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cosmos" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cosmos" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cosmos" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cosmos" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "existence" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cosmos", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The universe regarded as a system with harmony and order. countable
"This doctrine [the nebular hypothesis] supposes all the material universe to have been once in a fluid or nebular condition, and that, by the operation of universal gravitation and the thousand other laws of nature, the nebular matter has been mainly aggregated into masses, and the existing cosmoi been developed."
- 2 Any of various mostly Mexican herbs of the genus Cosmos having radiate heads of variously coloured flowers and pinnate leaves. countable, uncountable
"This beautiful plant was discovered in Mexico, before 1789; as seeds of it sent to Madrid produced plants, which blossomed in that year in the Royal Botanic Garden of Spain. It was first described and figured in 1797, by [Antonio José] Cavanilles, who called it Cosmos, from the Greek word Kosmos, beautiful; but this name was afterwards altered by [Carl Ludwig] Willdenow to Cosmea, as being more consistent with the rules of botanical nomenclature."
- 3 plural of cosmo form-of, plural
- 4 everything that exists anywhere wordnet
- 5 The universe regarded as a system with harmony and order.; A harmonious, ordered whole. broadly, countable, uncountable
"This simple cell is a cosmos in this respect: it represents the laws of the universe in changes of matter, and clearly exemplifies their workings in the oral cavity."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 any of various mostly Mexican herbs of the genus Cosmos having radiate heads of variously colored flowers and pinnate leaves; popular fall-blooming annuals wordnet
- 7 Harmony, order. uncountable
"He [Frederick I of Prussia] founded Universities, this poor King; University of Halle; Royal Academy of Berlin, [Gottfried Wilhelm] Leibniz presiding: he fought for Protestantism;—did what he could for the cause of Cosmos versus Chaos, after his fashion."
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in Minnesota.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I happen to prefer champagne to ditchwater, but there is no reason to suppose that the cosmos does."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cosmos"?
Common synonyms include: existence, universe, all, all being, all creation, allness.
How do you use "cosmos" in a sentence?
I happen to prefer champagne to ditchwater, but there is no reason to suppose that the cosmos does.
How do you pronounce "cosmos"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒzmɒs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English cossmos (“the universe; the world”), borrowed from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “order; universe; the earth, the world; decoration, ornament”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- (“to announce, proclaim; to put in order”). The plural form cosmoi is a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κόσμοι (kósmoi).
Etymology 2
Borrowed from translingual Cosmos (genus name), from New Latin cosmos, from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “decoration, ornament; order; universe; the earth, the world”) (referring to its elegant leaves); see further at etymology 1.
Etymology 3
From cosmo + -s (suffix forming regular plurals of nouns).