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
There, diplomats will discuss whether and how to step up action on climate change.
—Brad Plumer, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Newsletter Toward a more sustainable California Get Boiling Point, our newsletter exploring climate change, energy and the environment, and become part of the conversation — and the solution.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
But recent developments are starting to change that equation, most of them stemming in some way from the convulsive effects of climate change.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The warming temperatures due to climate change have also resulted in ticks spreading into new geographical areas.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023
The crisis is rooted in climate change—which has caused record heat and drought, more insect pressure, and more high-intensity fires in California—combined with a century-long history of suppressing frequent, low-intensity fire.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
At the moment, over 60 percent of the world’s electricity generation comes from fossil fuels, the main contributor to climate change.
—Yessenia Funes, The Verge, 17 Nov. 2023
According to the University of Notre Dame's Country Ranking on vulnerability, Somalia is the second most vulnerable country in the world to climate change.
—Helena Skinner, ABC News, 17 Nov. 2023
Other organizations around the world are also responding to the necessity of addressing the health impacts of climate change.
—Martine Ferland, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
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Brad Plumer, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Newsletter Toward a more sustainable California Get Boiling Point, our newsletter exploring climate change, energy and the environment, and become part of the conversation — and the solution.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
But recent developments are starting to change that equation, most of them stemming in some way from the convulsive effects of climate change.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The warming temperatures due to climate change have also resulted in ticks spreading into new geographical areas.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023
The crisis is rooted in climate change—which has caused record heat and drought, more insect pressure, and more high-intensity fires in California—combined with a century-long history of suppressing frequent, low-intensity fire.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
At the moment, over 60 percent of the world’s electricity generation comes from fossil fuels, the main contributor to climate change.
—Yessenia Funes, The Verge, 17 Nov. 2023
According to the University of Notre Dame's Country Ranking on vulnerability, Somalia is the second most vulnerable country in the world to climate change.
—Helena Skinner, ABC News, 17 Nov. 2023
Other organizations around the world are also responding to the necessity of addressing the health impacts of climate change.
—Martine Ferland, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'climate change.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1854, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to climate change
Dictionary Entries Near climate change
Cite this Entry
“Climate change.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climate%20change. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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