Meaning & use
cosmonaut
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Meaning
nouncountable
an astronaut trained by the Russian or former Soviet space program
Grammar: Countable: a cosmonaut, two cosmonauts. Often used with 'Russian' or 'Soviet'.
Patterns
- Russian cosmonaut
- Soviet cosmonaut
Yuri Gagarin was the first cosmonaut to travel into space.
The Russian cosmonaut spent six months on the International Space Station.
Cosmonauts undergo years of intense training before their first mission.
Word forms
| plural | cosmonauts |
|---|
Common combinations
- Russian cosmonaut
- The Russian cosmonaut described the view of Earth from space.
- Soviet cosmonaut
- Soviet cosmonauts achieved many early space milestones.
- veteran cosmonaut
- The veteran cosmonaut has flown on four missions.
- cosmonaut training
- Cosmonaut training includes survival exercises and spacecraft simulations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- astronaut
- Astronaut is the general term used in most countries, including the US; cosmonaut is specific to Russia and the former Soviet Union.
- taikonaut
- Taikonaut is used for a Chinese space traveler, while cosmonaut is for a Russian or Soviet one.
Word family
- astronaut noun
- A person trained for space travel, especially in the US or other non-Russian programs.
- cosmonautics noun
- The science and technology of space travel, especially in the Russian context.
Commonly confused: cosmonaut or astronaut?
cosmonaut vs astronaut
Astronaut is the general English word; cosmonaut is used specifically for Russian or Soviet space travelers. Using 'cosmonaut' for an American astronaut would be incorrect.
Practice
Which term is used for a space traveler from Russia?
Choose one answer.
Cosmonaut is the correct term for a Russian or Soviet space traveler. Astronaut is the general term used elsewhere, and taikonaut refers to a Chinese space traveler.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cosmonaut”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.