Like most astronomers before him, Ptolemy believed the Sun, Moon, and other planets circled the Earth. He thought that each space body moved in a small circle (an epicycle) that was itself orbiting Earth.
Source: tatoeba (3957926)
Ptolemy
/ˈtɑləmi/
Synonyms for "ptolemy" (6 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (2)
Noun(2 words)
Strong matches (1)
Noun(1 words)
Related words (3)
Noun(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: astronomer, forename, geographer, given name, ptolemaic dynasty.
- Sentence evidence is available for ptolemy, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, wordnet.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ptolemy".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "ptolemy"
Keep "ptolemy" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ptolemy" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "ptolemy", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ptolemy" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriesAlmagest authorClaudius PtolemyGeographia authorHellenistic astronomyPtolemaic systemancient astronomer
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
1 entriesTranslations
41 translations across 36 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- Πτολεμαῖος name (name of Greek origin)
Arabic
1 entries- بَطُلِيمُوس name (name of Greek origin)
Armenian
1 entries- Պտղոմեոս name (name of Greek origin)
Azerbaijani
3 entries- Bətləmius name (name of Greek origin)
- Ptolemey name (name of Greek origin)
- بطلمیوس name (name of Greek origin)
Bulgarian
1 entries- Птолемей name (name of Greek origin)
Catalan
1 entries- Ptolemeu name (name of Greek origin)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 托勒密 name (name of Greek origin)
Coptic
1 entries- ⲡⲧⲟⲗⲉⲙⲁⲓⲟⲥ name (name of Greek origin)
Czech
1 entries- Ptolemaios name (name of Greek origin)
Danish
1 entries- Ptolemæus name (name of Greek origin)
Estonian
1 entries- Ptolemaios name (name of Greek origin)
Finnish
1 entries- Ptolemaios name (name of Greek origin)
French
1 entries- Ptolémée name (name of Greek origin)
Georgian
1 entries- პტოლემე name (name of Greek origin)
German
2 entries- Ptolemaios name (name of Greek origin)
- Ptolemäus name (name of Greek origin)
Greek
1 entries- Πτολεμαίος name (name of Greek origin)
Hebrew
1 entries- תּלמי name (name of Greek origin)
Hindi
1 entries- तुरमय name (name of Greek origin)
Italian
1 entries- Tolomeo name (name of Greek origin)
Japanese
1 entries- プトレマイオス name (name of Greek origin)
Korean
1 entries- 프톨레마이오스 name (name of Greek origin)
Latin
1 entries- Ptolemaeus name (name of Greek origin)
Latvian
1 entries- Ptolemajs name (name of Greek origin)
Lithuanian
1 entries- Ptolemėjus name (name of Greek origin)
Macedonian
1 entries- Птоломеј name (name of Greek origin)
Old Armenian
1 entries- Պտղոմէոս name (name of Greek origin)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- بطلمیوس name (name of Greek origin)
Persian
1 entries- بطلمیوس name (name of Greek origin)
Polish
1 entries- Ptolemeusz name (name of Greek origin)
Portuguese
2 entries- Ptolemeu name (name of Greek origin)
- Ptolomeu name (name of Greek origin)
Romanian
1 entries- Ptolemeu name (name of Greek origin)
Russian
1 entries- Птолеме́й name (name of Greek origin)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- Ptolomaidh name (name of Greek origin)
Spanish
2 entries- Ptolomeo name (name of Greek origin)
- Tolomeo name (name of Greek origin)
Swedish
1 entries- Ptolemaios name (name of Greek origin)
Turkish
1 entries- Batlamyus name (name of Greek origin)
Sample sentences
7 total sentences available.
In Copernicus' time most astronomers believed the theory the Greek astronomer Ptolemy had developed more than 1,000 years earlier. Ptolemy said the Earth was the center of the universe and was motionless. He believed all other heavenly bodies moved in complicated patterns around the Earth.
Source: tatoeba (3958672)
The heliocentric view of the world, in which the Sun is at the centre of the universe, is also described as the Copernican system. It represents a step forward from the geocentric view of Ptolemy.
Source: tatoeba (8838763)
Ptolemy was a Greek astronomer.
Source: tatoeba (9194572)
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "ptolemy"?
Closest matches include astronomer, forename, geographer, given name, ptolemaic dynasty.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "ptolemy"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.