global warming

noun

: an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution

A Russian-owned tanker, built to traverse the frozen waters of the Arctic, completed a journey in record time from Europe to Asia this month, auguring the future of shipping as global warming melts sea ice.

—Russell Goldman

Debates about stem cells, global warming, and alternative energy might be less contentious if the scientific issues behind them were better understood.

—Elizabeth Gettelman

The development is also meant to boost tourism in Zermatt, which, like many Alpine towns worried about the effects of global warming on winter tourism, is exploring ways to draw visitors throughout the year.

—Jim Rendon

… I think it makes a compelling case, at least for most audiences, that humans are the cause of most of the global warming that is taking place, and that unless we take quick action the consequences for our planetary home could become irreversible.

—Al Gore

Examples of global warming in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But global warming due to the climate crisis is causing meteorites to sink into the melting ice. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024

When oil and gas wells are discarded without being properly sealed, which can happen when companies go bankrupt, the wells can leak methane, a powerful planet-warming pollutant that is a major contributor to global warming. —Coral Davenport, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Fact check: No, Antarctic sea ice data doesn't show 'global warming narrative is falling apart' The social media post also ignores other relevant studies. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

The plaintiffs sought to hold officials legally accountable for meeting a goal set in the Paris climate accord, in which countries agreed to try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial era. —Justine Calma, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024

The Tennessee state House of Representatives passed a bill Monday designed to prevent geoengineering, the practice of intentionally modifying the atmosphere to counteract global warming. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024

Wildfires, years of drought and global warming have plagued California vineyards, but that’s only part of the problem. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) both seem to suggest somewhere in the region of $6 trillion or more may be needed per year until 2030 for a successful energy transition and restricting global warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

To put it simply, global warming has accelerated the Earth's rotation, forcing global timekeeping to adjust. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

global warming

noun

: a warming of the earth's atmosphere and oceans that is predicted to result from an increase in the greenhouse effect caused by air pollution