Meaning & use
astrophysical
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Relating to the physics of stars, planets, and other objects in space.
Grammar: Almost always comes before a noun: 'astrophysical research', not 'the research is astrophysical' in casual use.
Patterns
- astrophysical research
- astrophysical processes
- astrophysical data
The team published astrophysical research on how stars form.
Astrophysical data from the new telescope surprised everyone.
She studies the astrophysical processes inside dying stars.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Relating to the scientific study of the physical nature of stars and space.
Grammar: Used to describe the field or its journals and meetings rather than everyday things.
Patterns
- astrophysical journal
- astrophysical community
His paper appeared in a leading astrophysical journal.
The astrophysical community met in Chicago last summer.
Common combinations
- astrophysical processes
- Astrophysical processes such as nuclear fusion power the Sun.
- astrophysical research
- Astrophysical research often relies on computer models.
- astrophysical observations
- These astrophysical observations were made from a mountain in Chile.
- astrophysical theory
- The discovery forced scientists to revise astrophysical theory.
Synonyms and how they differ
- astronomical
- Broader and more common; it can describe anything to do with astronomy, while astrophysical stresses the physics involved.
- cosmological
- Use this for the universe as a whole; astrophysical is about individual objects such as stars and planets.
Word family
- astrophysics noun
- The branch of science that studies the physics of space objects.
- astrophysicist noun
- A scientist who works in astrophysics.
- physical adjective
- Relating to physics or to the body and material things.
Commonly confused: astrophysical or astrological? astrophysical or astronomical?
astrophysical vs astrological
Astrological means related to astrology, the belief that stars affect human lives, which is not a science.
astrophysical vs astronomical
Astronomical can also mean 'extremely large' in everyday English, as in 'astronomical prices'; astrophysical never has that meaning.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses astrophysical correctly.
Choose one answer.
Astrophysical describes the physics of space objects, so it fits 'models of star formation'. Option 1 confuses it with 'astronomical' meaning 'very large', and options 2 and 4 use it for things that have nothing to do with space physics.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “astrophysical”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.