cosmonaut

noun

cos·​mo·​naut ˈkäz-mə-ˌnȯt How to pronounce cosmonaut (audio)
-ˌnät
: an astronaut of the Soviet or Russian space program

Examples of cosmonaut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On December 2, 1990, Akiyama lifted off with Soviet-era cosmonauts Viktor Afanasyev and Musa Manarov atop a Soyuz U2 rocket that had been adorned with the Japanese flag and ads from various Japanese companies, including Sony. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 The longest single spaceflight lasted 437 days and was set between 1994 and 1995 by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on the Mir space station. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The countries have held joint military drills and signed a nuclear power development pact and agreed to cooperate in human space flight projects including the selection and training of Myanmar’s first cosmonaut. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 In 1988, Abdul Ahad Momand became the first, and only, Afghan cosmonaut in space and made Pashto the fourth language ever spoken beyond Earth. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cosmonaut

Word History

Etymology

Russian kosmonavt, from Greek kosmos + Russian -navt (as in aeronavt aeronaut)

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cosmonaut was in 1955

Rhymes for cosmonaut

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Browse Nearby Words

cosmology
cosmonaut
cosmonautics
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Cite this Entry

“Cosmonaut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmonaut. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cosmonaut

noun
cos·​mo·​naut ˈkäz-mə-ˌnȯt How to pronounce cosmonaut (audio)
-ˌnät
: a Soviet or Russian astronaut

More from Merriam-Webster on cosmonaut

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cosmonaut

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