Sphere — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈsfir/

Meaning & Definition of Sphere

Sphere (noun)

  1. the apparent surface of the heavens of which half forms the dome of the visible sky
  2. any of the concentric and eccentric revolving spherical transparent shells in which according to ancient astronomy stars, sun, planets, and moon are set
  3. a globe depicting such a sphere; broadly, globe

Sphere (verb)

  1. to place in a sphere or among the spheres, ensphere
  2. to form into a sphere

Sphere (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a more or less round body or mass

    "this sphere that we live on is just a tiny speck in the universe"

    similar: ball, globe, orb
    related: bead, globule, egg, ellipse, loop, oval, spheroid, circle, ring, rondure, round, chunk, clump, gob, hunk, lump, nugget, wad
    near: block, cube, rectangle, square

  2. a region of activity, knowledge, or influence

    "higher mathematics is a little outside my sphere"

    similar: area, arena, bailiwick, barony, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, terrain, walk
    related: frontier, study, subject, territory, turf, occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation, ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width, subfield, subspecialty

  3. a ball-shaped gaseous celestial body that shines by its own light

    "perhaps there is indeed life on planets circling spheres in galaxies far, far away"

    similar: luminary, star, sun
    related: cluster, constellation, galaxy, binary star, brown dwarf, dwarf, fixed star, gasser, giant star, lodestar, neutron star, nova, pulsar, quasar, red dwarf, red giant, red star, subdwarf, supercluster, supergiant, supernova, variable, variable star, white dwarf

Sphere (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in roll, round

    similar: agglomerate, ball, roll, round, wad, bead, pearl, pellet, pelletize, bunch, clump, lump
    opposite: unroll, flatten, open, smooth, spread, unfold

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sphere

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sphere:

ball, globe, orb, area, arena, bailiwick, barony, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, terrain, walk, luminary, star, sun, agglomerate, roll, round, wad, bead, pearl, pellet, pelletize, bunch

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sphere

Words with the opposite meaning of Sphere:

unroll, flatten, open, smooth, spread, unfold

Related Words for Sphere

globule, egg, ellipse, loop, oval, spheroid, ring, rondure, chunk, gob, hunk, nugget, frontier, study, subject, territory, turf, occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation, ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken

Near Antonyms of Sphere

block, cube, rectangle, square

Word Forms of Sphere

Inflections: sphered, sphering

Derived words: spheric (adjective), sphericity (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Sphere

Middle English spere globe, celestial sphere, from Anglo-French espere, from Latin sphaera, from Greek sphaira, literally, ball; perhaps akin to Greek spairein to quiver spurn:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Sphere

Words & Phrases Containing Sphere

-sphere, sphere of influence, armillary sphere, celestial sphere

Frequently Asked Questions about Sphere

What does "Sphere" mean?

"Sphere" means the apparent surface of the heavens of which half forms the dome of the visible sky. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the apparent surface of the heavens of which half forms the dome of the visible sky. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sphere"?

Other words for "Sphere" include ball, globe, orb, area, arena, bailiwick, barony and business. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sphere" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sphere"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sphere". Common alternatives include ball, globe, orb, area, arena, bailiwick, barony, business, circle and demesne.

What is the opposite of "Sphere"?

Antonyms of "Sphere" include unroll, flatten, open, smooth, spread and unfold. Near antonyms include block, cube, rectangle and square.

How do you use "Sphere" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sphere" in a sentence: "this sphere that we live on is just a tiny speck in the universe"; "higher mathematics is a little outside my sphere"; "perhaps there is indeed life on planets circling spheres in galaxies far, far away".

Is "Sphere" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Sphere" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Sphere" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Sphere"?

"Sphere" is pronounced /ˈsfir/.