-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Examples of island universe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The galaxy spanning Edwin Hubble’s glass plates will be an island universe no more.
—
WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023
Kant was right: such nebulae truly were island universes, and the Milky Way was merely one among many.
—
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Aug. 2023
That’s interesting work suggesting that island universes, as galaxies were originally called, may not be so independent after all.
—
The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2023
The clusters will survive, but each one will become an island universe, effectively alone in a vast expanse of nothingness.
—
Popular Mechanics, 6 June 2023
Kant coined the term island universe to describe a galaxy.
—
Katherine Kornei, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2014
This picture -- one of four peering at this gigantic island universe -- is looking into the galaxy's halo, the cloud of stars surrounding the main disk.
—
Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2011
This little island universe holds far fewer stars than your average galaxy.
—
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2019
Filled to the brim with hundreds of billions of stars, these island universes often seem like the most prominent occupants of space’s vast emptiness.
—
Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1867, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near island universe
Cite this Entry
“Island universe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/island%20universe. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
island universe
noun
: a galaxy other than the Milky Way
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share