Heliocentric
/ˌhiːli.oʊˈsɛn.trɪk/noun
Relating to a model of the solar system with the Sun at the center.
Did you know?The word was coined from Greek roots, but the idea it names helped destroy an ancient cosmic order and sparked one of history’s most dangerous intellectual revolutions.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hḗlios
“sun”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kéntron
“sharp point; center; goad”
Late Greek
Greek
hēliókentros
“sun-centered”
16th Century
Latin
heliocentricus
“heliocentric; having the Sun at the center”
Modern English
English
heliocentric
“describing a solar-system model with the Sun at the center”