climate change
noun
: significant and long-lasting change in the earth's climate and weather patterns
The half-tonne … turtles were thought to have died out 30,000 to 40,000 years ago because of climate change.—
New Scientist
New Scientist
especially, in current use
: such change associated with global warming
Concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change are renewed among scientists and the public with every new report about the possibility of melting icecaps and rising temperatures. —Randy Showstack
Randy Showstack Drought is a paleontological fact in the American West, but the latest desiccations have a new signature, and my region's climatologists, hydrologists, foresters, and water managers are nearly unanimous in their conviction that what we are seeing now is climate change, the anthropogenic kind, a consequence of too much CO2 and other greenhouse gases. —Kenneth Brower
Kenneth Brower Examples of climate change in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Because his stance on climate change conflicts with overwhelming scientific consensus, the president has removed climate information from federal websites, approved scientifically unsound reports that favor fossil fuels, and gutted key scientific agencies and boards.
—Joseph Bonasia, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2026
In 2023 and 2024 the planet saw record-high temperatures in part because of an El Niño event that amplified the effects of climate change.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
This is the latest edition of Boiling Point, a newsletter about climate change and the environment in the American West.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
When the issue of climate change emerged, it was initially viewed as just another environmental challenge, which environmental groups met with campaigns for national and international climate policies, all while still advocating for the preservation of wildlands.
—John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
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Joseph Bonasia, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2026
In 2023 and 2024 the planet saw record-high temperatures in part because of an El Niño event that amplified the effects of climate change.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
This is the latest edition of Boiling Point, a newsletter about climate change and the environment in the American West.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
When the issue of climate change emerged, it was initially viewed as just another environmental challenge, which environmental groups met with campaigns for national and international climate policies, all while still advocating for the preservation of wildlands.
—John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for climate change
Cite this Entry
“Climate change.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climate%20change. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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