- 1 the universe [singular] the whole of space and everything in it, including the earth, the planets and the stars theories of how the universe began Wordfindersundaylight, eclipse, equinox, ray, rise, solar, solstice, the sun, twilight, the universe Wordfinderuniverseasteroid, astronomy, comet, constellation, cosmic, galaxy, meteorite, orbit, space, the universe Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveentire, whole, vast, … verb + universecreate universe + verbexpand prepositionin the universe phrasesthe beginning of the universe, the origin of the universe, the origins of the universe, … See full entry See related entries: The universe
- 2[countable] a system of stars, planets, etc. in space outside our own The idea of a parallel universe is hard to grasp. (figurative) He lives in a little universe of his own. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveentire, whole, vast, … verb + universecreate universe + verbexpand prepositionin the universe phrasesthe beginning of the universe, the origin of the universe, the origins of the universe, … See full entry
- 3[singular] a particular area of experience or activity the moral universe Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveentire, whole, vast, … verb + universecreate universe + verbexpand prepositionin the universe phrasesthe beginning of the universe, the origin of the universe, the origins of the universe, … See full entry Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French univers or Latin universum, neuter of universus ‘combined into one, whole’, from uni- ‘one’ + versus ‘turned’ (past participle of vertere).Extra examples Could there be intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? Do you believe God created the universe? The characters exist in a parallel universe. The universe is still expanding. the outer regions of the known universe A tidal pool is its own little universe, bustling with activity and life. Parallel universes are thought to be universes that exist alongside our own. The Big Bang Theory is a widely accepted theory of how the universe began.
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