Cosms

Cosms is a term used primarily in philosophy and science fiction to denote multiple distinct universes or realms, each considered a cosmos in its own right. The word cosm derives from the Greek kosmos, meaning order, arrangement, or world, and cosm is sometimes used to denote an individual 'world' or 'universe' within a larger metaphysical framework. Cosms, the plural, refers to a set of such worlds.

In modern usage, cosmos most often refers to the totality of the universe as understood in contemporary science and common speech. By contrast, cosms emphasizes plurality: it treats each universe as a separate, self-contained system that may differ in its physical laws, history, or ontological status. In speculative cosmology and metaphysical theories, cosms are sometimes described as components of a multiverse or as independent realities that can be nested, juxtaposed, or causally disconnected.

In fiction, cosms enable narratives across alternate histories, parallel lives, or layered realities, where characters experience or traverse different universes with distinct rules. In philosophy and metaphysics, the concept of cosms relates to possible worlds, modal realism, and debates about the nature and scope of reality. Although not as common in scientific literature, the term helps discuss the idea of multiple, self-contained universes within a broader conceptual framework.

See also: cosmos, multiverse, possible world, ontology.