Some may find it easy to confuse astronomy and astrology. At one time, these two words actually were synonymous (that is, astronomy once meant what astrology means today), but they have since moved apart from each other. In current use, astronomy is concerned with “the study of objects and matter outside the earth's atmosphere,” while astrology is the purported divination of how stars and planets influence our lives. Put bluntly, astronomy is a science, and astrology is not.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe brand combines astrology, numerology and tarot to craft each unique formulation. Alesandra Dubin, Good Housekeeping, 7 Sep. 2022 To flip through its 2023 edition is to be nostalgic for the days when pop-culture bunk was limited to astrology, psychics and ancient folk cures. Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2022 His main criticism, though, was reserved for astrology, which was part of university curricula back then. Barton Swaim, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 Sennott, who follows astrology, stands by her character's assessment. Angie Orellana Hernandez, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2022 Before Virgo season officially kicks in on August 23, grab a present that was written in the stars for a cosmic feline with these beauty and lifestyle astrology gifts. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 27 July 2022 People, politicians, brands and companies have used the image to explain niche subjects ranging from legislation to astrology, using all-caps captions to mirror the girl in the image’s vibe. Wilson Wong, NBC News, 19 Aug. 2022 The Greek polymath Ptolemy, for example, noted red stars visible with the naked eye in his second-century treatise on astrology, but Betelgeuse was not included. James Riordon, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2022 Plus, for whatever reason, Swiss Facebook is particularly fixated on astrology. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 25 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English astrologie, from Middle French, from Latin astrologia, from Greek, from astr- + -logia -logy