What does "universe" mean?
The sum of everything that exists in the cosmos.
Universe
/ˈjuːnəˌvɝs/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The sum of everything that exists in the cosmos.
- Grammar: universe is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cosmos, creation, population, world.
- Useful contrasts: Earth, chaos, disorder.
- Usage evidence: Mathematics is the part of science you could continue to do if you woke up tomorrow and discovered the universe was gone.
How to use "universe"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "universe" 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 "universe" 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 "universe" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "universe" 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 "universe" 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 "cosmos" 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 "universe", 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 sum of everything that exists in the cosmos.
"Do you think that the universe was created by a life force or a deity?"
- 2 everything stated or assumed in a given discussion wordnet
- 3 The sum of everything that exists in the cosmos.; An entity similar to our universe; one component of a larger entity known as the multiverse.
- 4 (statistics) the entire aggregation of items from which samples can be drawn wordnet
- 5 Everything under consideration.
"In all this universe of possibilities, there is only one feasible option."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 everything that exists anywhere wordnet
- 7 Everything under consideration.; The set of all things considered.
- 8 Everything under consideration.; The set of all admissible observations.
"In general content-related evidence demonstrates the degree to which the sample of items, tasks or questions on a test is representative of some defined universe or domain of content."
- 9 Everything under consideration.; A sample taken from the population.
- 10 An imaginary collection of worlds; the general imaginary world within which a work of fiction takes place, broader than its immediate setting.
"The universe in this comic book series is richly imagined."
- 11 An imaginary collection of worlds; the general imaginary world within which a work of fiction takes place, broader than its immediate setting.; A collection of stories with characters and settings that typically share a continuity but are less interrelated than those of sequels or prequels.
"Annabelle Comes Home (the 7th and most recent movie in the Conjuring universe, and the 3rd to focus on Annabelle) is a direct sequel to both previous Annabelle movies, which occurred before the events of The Conjuring – but take place after the events of the 2013 franchise-starter."
- 12 A whole world, in the sense of perspective or social setting.
"That didn’t just rock my world, it rocked my universe."
- 13 A deity who is equivalent to the sum of everything that exists in the cosmos.
"The universe wants you to succeed."
- 14 The Earth, the sphere of the world. archaic
"Under our new World may alſo be compriſed thoſe vaſt Southern Coaſts and Streights of Magelan, firſt lighted on by Ferdinandus Magelanus in the year 1520, in his Circumnavigation of the Univerſe ; which forty five years after Sir Francis Drake, and next Sir Thomas Bendiſh, Engliſhmen, made a furhter inſpection into ; and in the Year 1600 Oliver van Noord a Hollander paſt, but of later years a Spaniard, Fedinand de Quier, out-ſhot them all by a more ample Diſcovery then all the former."
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of Universe; Our universe. alt-of
- 2 Our universe, the sum of everything that exists in the cosmos, including time and space itself.
"Powerful telescopes look far back into the distant reaches of the Universe."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Mathematics is the part of science you could continue to do if you woke up tomorrow and discovered the universe was gone."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "universe"?
Common synonyms include: cosmos, creation, population, world, all, all creation.
How do you use "universe" in a sentence?
Mathematics is the part of science you could continue to do if you woke up tomorrow and discovered the universe was gone.
How do you pronounce "universe"?
Pronounced /ˈjuːnəˌvɝs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English universe, from Old French univers, from Latin universum (“all things, as a whole, the universe”), neuter of universus (“all together, whole, entire, collective, general, literally turned or combined into one”), from uni-, combining form of unus (“one”) + versus (“turned”), perfect passive participle of vertō (“to turn”). Analyzable as uni- + -verse through backformation of -verse.
Etymology 2
From Middle English, directly or via Old French univers, from Latin universum. See universe.