Cosmographic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the description, representation, or study of the structure and features of the earth or cosmos
2. Of or pertaining to the science that describes and maps the world, heavens, or both together
3. Concerning the systematic depiction or charting of the physical world and celestial regions

Etymology: Cosmographic is a plain formation rather than a story with a famous coiner. It is built from "cosmography," itself a compound of the Greek "kosmos," meaning order or the universe, and "-graphia," meaning writing or description, so the base word describes a written account of the world as a whole. The adjective ending "-ic" comes through Latin "-icus" and Old French "-ique," which English took in as a suffix meaning "of or relating to." Attaching it to "cosmography" produces a term meaning "relating to the description of the universe." Because the suffix is so productive, the adjective is simply the noun plus that ending, and its sense follows directly from the parts.

Synonyms: cosmographical, geographic, astronomical