ruimte

ruimte is a Dutch noun meaning space or room, and it also denotes outer space in astronomy. The word appears in everyday language as well as in technical contexts such as architecture, mathematics, and astronomy. It is cognate with the German Raum and related to English space and room.

As a general noun, ruimte refers to physical extent or volume: the amount of empty space inside a container, the area around objects, or the open environment. In architecture and urban planning, ruimte is a key concept describing the arrangement, proportions, and perceptual quality of a place, including light, movement, and openness. The adjective ruim means spacious.

Een ruimte can be a room or chamber in a building; specific types include woonruimte (living space) and kantoorruimte (office space). The plural ruimtes is common in everyday speech, though ruimten is also heard in some contexts.

Outside Earth, ruimte means outer space—the cosmos beyond our atmosphere. In science, ruimte is studied by astronomy and physics, while ruimtevaart and ruimtevaartuig refer to space travel and spacecraft. In mathematics, the term appears in compounds such as vectorruimte (vector space) or functionruimte, indicating an abstract space with defined structure.

In addition to physical and scientific uses, ruimte often appears in figurative language to discuss personal space, spatial planning, or opportunities for growth and development.