Astronomical
/ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkəl/
Definitions
2 meaningsRelating to the stars, planets, and other celestial bodies; belonging to or connected with astronomy.
/ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkəl/
Relating to astronomy
He studied astronomical phenomena.
💡 Simply: Having to do with stars and space.
More Examples
She has a keen interest in astronomical events.
How It's Used
"The astronomical observations confirmed the presence of a new planet."
So large as to be almost unbelievable; immense.
/ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkəl/
Extremely large; immense
The price of the house was astronomical.
💡 Simply: Incredibly big.
More Examples
They made an astronomical profit.
How It's Used
"The cost of the project was astronomical."
"They won an astronomical amount in the lottery."
From Late Latin *astronomicus, from Greek ἀστρονομικός (astronomikós), from ἀστρονομία (astronomía) "astronomy". The word's meaning has evolved from relating specifically to astronomy to describing extremely large numbers.
While originally strictly related to astronomy, the figurative use of 'astronomical' to mean 'extremely large' became prevalent in the 18th century.
Memory tip
Think 'astro' (stars) and 'nomical' (related to).