atmosphere

noun at·mo·sphere \ ˈat-mə-ˌsfir \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: atmosphere in a Sentence

Definition of atmosphere

1 a : the gaseous envelope of a celestial body (such as a planet)

b : the whole mass of air surrounding the earth

2 : the air of a locality

the stuffy atmosphere of the waiting room

3 : a surrounding influence or environment

an atmosphere of hostility

4 : a unit of pressure equal to the pressure of the air at sea level or approximately 14.7 pounds per square inch (101,325 pascals)

5 a : the overall aesthetic effect of a work of art

b : an intriguing or singular tone, effect, or appeal

an inn with atmosphere

—

atmosphered

play \-ˌsfird\ adjective

See atmosphere defined for English-language learners

See atmosphere defined for kids

Examples of atmosphere in a Sentence

Experts have noticed changes in the atmosphere.
Meteoroids burn up as they pass through Earth's atmosphere.
The planets have different atmospheres.
a country inn with lots of atmosphere
The food was good but the restaurant has no atmosphere.

Recent Examples of atmosphere from the Web

The train cars were packed with supporters of several teams, but the atmosphere was always jovial.

— bill van niekerken, San Francisco Chronicle, "When the Bay Area had World Cup fever in 1994," 13 June 2018
The atmosphere was cozy, as guests including Ally Aflalo, Alana O’Herlihy, and Liv Perez slid into seats at long tables topped with pale pink peonies.

— katarina kovac, Vogue, "Bella Hadid, Lili Reinhart, and Winnie Harlow Celebrate the Dior Backstage Makeup Collection Over Dinner," 8 June 2018
So while Belmont Park should be full—or nearly full on Saturday—and while television ratings on NBC should be strong, there is a very different atmosphere than during the drought.

— tim layden, SI.com, "Justify Attempts to Earn Triple Crown at Belmont With Less Narrative, Faded Anticipation," 7 June 2018
The police arrived, in seven vehicles, but the atmosphere was neutral.

— thomas fox parry, The Atlantic, "The Death of a Gig Worker," 1 June 2018
The mood is very awkward, and Taka admits that the atmosphere is off.

— mariah smith, The Cut, "This Episode of Terrace House Ends on a Cliff-hanger," 17 May 2018
The atmosphere of the games is great, and the girls have all become so close.

— steve millar, Daily Southtown, "Mightier Mia: Freshman forward Mia Villamor-Thompkins scores twice as H-F rolls past T.F. United," 15 May 2018
To put it another way, the atmosphere on Mars at the planet's surface is as thin as our planet's air at 100,000 feet of altitude.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "How to Fly a Helicopter on Mars," 15 May 2018
The helicopter will attempt to fly through the Martian air to see if vehicles can even levitate on Mars, where the atmosphere is 100 times thinner than that of Earth.

— loren grush, The Verge, "The Mars Helicopter is happening, y’all," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atmosphere.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of atmosphere

earlier in Latinate form atmo-sphæra, from Greek atmós "steam, vapor" (probably contracted from aetmós, of uncertain origin) + -o- -o-+ Latin sphaera ¹sphere

Note: The word atmo-sphæra was apparently introduced by the English clergyman and natural philosopher John Wilkins (1614-72) in The Discovery of a World in the Moone (London, 1638), p. 138: "Proposition 10. That there is an Atmo-sphæra, or an orbe of grosse vaporous aire, immediately encompassing the body of the Moone."

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1638

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year