Copernican principle

proper noun

A principle which states that the location of humanity has no special significance (in constrast to traditional views that the Earth or Sun are located in the center of the Universe).

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proper noun
  1. astronomyA principle which states that the location of humanity has no special significance (in constrast to traditional views that the Earth or Sun are located in the center of the Universe).

Origin

Named after Nicolaus Copernicus by Austrian-British cosmologist Hermann Bondi in reference to his model of Copernican heliocentrism.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Copernican principle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Copernican%20principle

MLA

“Copernican principle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Copernican%20principle. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Copernican principle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Copernican%20principle.

Source: Copernican principle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.