The world in which we live is huge and unlimited. While mankind is contained in a tiny area of the world, people are conscious of the presence of other worlds and galaxies in the universe, the cosmos, and many other things.
In synonymous use, the words โcosmosโ and โuniverseโ refer to the same idea as the world of nature. โUniverseโ appears to have a lesser or narrower range than โcosmos,โ however, while โcosmosโ means a broader and complicated system.
But still, we know that there are other planets, galaxies, as well as many other objects of the universe and the cosmos. The world in which we live is huge, but most of us have only a small part of it in our lives.
Key Takeaways
- The cosmos refers to everything that exists โ including galaxies, planets, stars, and space.
- The universe refers to all matter and energy, including everything in the cosmos and beyond.
- While the cosmos is a Greek word that means โorderโ or โworld,โ the universe is a Latin word that means โall things.โ
Cosmos vs Universe
Cosmos is the entire physical universe governed by natural law and considered a unified whole. It includes all the created heavenly bodies like the sun, moon, wandering and fixed stars. The universe is all matter, time and space and the laws governing them, including planets, stars, and galaxies.

The term โcosmosโ is described as an orderly and harmonic set which is regulated by natural law, not human or supernatural laws. It is used to refer to natural objects, particularly those in the sky.
There are two implications to the term โcosmos.โ He was a mathematician who developed the theorem bearing his name and was the founder of the Pythagorean philosopher-religious movement.
โUniverseโ is defined as everything, including all matter and energy, earth and all that is included therein, as well as alien or celestial things such as galaxies, stars, and meteorites.
The following elements are in it: space, time, emptiness, matter, and energy. It consists of three elements: space and time and vacuum, matter and energy, and physical laws, which regulate them throughout history.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Cosmos | Universe |
---|---|---|
Meaning | The cosmos consists of a small section of the solar system and all the planets and thousands of stars. | All of the space, together with all-stars, comprises the entire universe in space. |
Form | Cosmos is available in many forms and dimensions. | The universe is the only unlimited space in its form. |
Shape and size | The cosmos never grow and are definitely shaped. | The universe continues to grow with several factors such as heat. |
Formation | When free clouds made up of other stars interacted, the galaxy generated a gravity force that resulted in creation. | The universe was established by the bust of space dubbed space expanded at a very high temperature but cooled and the formation took place. |
Inclusiveness | Cosmos is more inclusive. | The universe is not that inclusive. |
What is Cosmos?
Cosmos is a phrase used for universe identification. But also, in other contexts, the universe is employed. The right significance of the cosmos is an orderly thing.
The word โcosmosโ derives from the Greek word โัะพฮผoะฝ,โ meaning โorder,โ meaning โornament,โ The contrary of the word cosmos is chaos, meaning disorder and imperfection. Cosmology is the universe study.
The older universe hypothesis stated that it was an arranged and perfect system, but later discoveries and new theories indicated that the cosmos is truly quite chaotic.
The term โcosmosโ is described as an orderly and harmonic set which is regulated by natural law, not human or supernatural laws. It is used to refer to natural objects, particularly those in the sky.
There are two implications to the term โcosmos.โ It is the Greek term โcosmos,โ meaning โorder, order,โ or โornaments.โ Pythagoras, a sixth-century Greek philosopher, used the phrase for the first time.
He was a mathematician who developed the theorem bearing his name and was the founder of the Pythagorean philosopher-religious movement. These theories were mostly derived from quantum and statistical physics.

What is Universe?
Usually, the universe is defined as โeverything that exists.โ In this perspective, the cosmos is all from atoms to galaxies and intergalactic space. Energy also forms part of the world.
The term โuniverseโ was derived from โUniversumโ in Latin. Uni signifies a sentence used to define โone.โ โVersumโ indicates something rotating or rolling, or changing.
The Latin word was subsequently translated into the Universe and used by the French. In todayโs world, the cosmos, nature, and even the world are also known.
The concept of multiverses has recently come into being. Multiverses are universes other than the universe in which we inhabit. The universe is regarded in modern science as limitless, although the observable universe is finite.
The basic constants, like the global gravitational constant, the plank constant, and also the speed of light in such areas, are different. In current scientific theories, too, the concept of parallel universes is evident.
In thermodynamics, the term โuniverseโ is used to identify the system and the environment. In this way, sometimes, the cosmos is related to matter.

Main Differences Between Cosmos and Universeย
- The โCosmosโ is a whole harmonic and orderly system guided by natural law, whereas the โuniverseโ is all that exists, including time and space.
- The word โcosmosโ is derived from the Greek word meaning โordain or orderly order,โ whereas the Latin word โuniversesโ also refers to the Greek word โholosโ, which means โwhole or whole.โ
- The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras had originally used the word โkosmos,โ whereas the Roman philosopher, theorist, and statesman Cicero had first applied the word โuniverse.โ
- โUniverseโ may have a far lesser range, whereas โcosmosโ indicates a greater range.
- The cosmos is a system or an arranged set regulated by natural law, whereas the universe embraces all that exists and has been known.
- Cosmos means โorder,โ whereas the universe signifies all we know.
- The phrase cosmos is rooted in Greek, whereas the term โuniverseโ is rooted in Latin.

- https://www.nature.com/articles/294521a0
- https://www.birpublications.org/doi/abs/10.1259/0007-1285-4-43-351
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.