astronomical
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
relating to the scientific study of stars, planets, and space.
relating to the science of astronomy or the observation of celestial objects.
Simple“The observatory uses astronomical tools to track the movement of distant stars.”
In context“The researchers published their findings in an astronomical journal, detailing the precise coordinates of the newly discovered exoplanet.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
incredibly large or expensive — much bigger than what is normal.
extremely large in number, size, or degree; often used to describe costs or distances.
Simple“The cost of repairing the old house was astronomical, so they decided to sell it instead.”
In context“The national debt has reached astronomical levels, prompting urgent discussions among economists regarding long-term fiscal stability.”
UsageOften used to describe prices, debts, or distances.
“Spectrographs such as the near-infrared instrument on JWST split light into its many wavelengths to obtain information about the chemical makeup of astronomical targets, enabling scientists to identify the molecules present.”
“Rinaldi examined thousands of sources across several astronomical surveys, but the Saguaro stood out because researchers happened to have unusually useful observations of it.”
Attested since at least 1550, from Middle French astronomique or directly from Latin astronomicus, from Ancient Greek ἀστρονομικός (astronomikós).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.