environment

noun en·vi·ron·ment \ in-ˈvī-rə(n)-mənt , -ˈvī(-ə)r(n)- \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: environment in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Meanings of environment

Definition of environment

1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded

2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (such as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival

b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community

3 : the position or characteristic position of a linguistic element in a sequence

4 : a computer interface from which various tasks can be performed

a programming environment

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environmental

play \in-ˌvī-rə(n)-ˈmen-tᵊl, -ˌvī(-ə)r(n)-\ adjective

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environmentally

play \in-ˌvī-rə(n)-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē, -ˌvī(-ə)r(n)-\ adverb

See environment defined for English-language learners

See environment defined for kids

Examples of environment in a Sentence

He grew up in a loving environment.
We're trying to create a better business environment.
These animals were raised in a controlled environment.
Many plants are unable to survive in such a harsh environment.
Heredity and environment are both important.
Pollution is bad for the environment.

Recent Examples of environment from the Web

Foster and Mitchell fit handily into this environment in their Broadway numbers.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Review: The Hollywood Bowl turns up the heat for Leonard Bernstein celebration — sometimes too high," 11 July 2018
But on a more micro level, our disgust sensitivity is also shaped by family environments, norms within our smaller social circles, and our own daily routines and private behaviors.

— cari romm, The Cut, "What Your Ability to Handle Pimple-Popping Videos Says About You," 11 July 2018
This poses loads of risks, particularly illnesses caused by the tough environments in space.

— Fox News, "NASA shocker: Astronaut reveals humans could have been on Mars in the 1960s," 10 July 2018
All this has created a toxic environment in both the U.S. and Europe.

— joan c. williams, WSJ, "The Elites Feed Anti-Immigrant Bias," 9 July 2018
The spaceplane would be available to paying customers who want to experience zero-gravity, or used to conduct experiments in a high-altitude, gravity-free environment.

— laura yan, Popular Mechanics, "Virgin Galactic Wants to Send Tourists to Space," 7 July 2018
As much as returning to Cleveland was a desire of his, James was also leaving a professional environment in Miami that hinted at diminishing returns.

— alex wong, The Atlantic, "What’s Different About LeBron’s Move to the Lakers," 4 July 2018
Louis, a Philadelphia principal and Gretchen Dahlkemper, a parent and environmental consultant; the duo was notified of our investigation into toxic environments in Philadelphia schools and took immediate action to clean their school.

— tauhid chappell, Philly.com, "Supreme Courts decision could affect Pennsylvania politics, two casinos open in Atlantic city | Morning Newsletter," 28 June 2018
As for her previous nanny position, that’s being put on the back burner for now; having recently learned about the pollution from the fashion industry, Bekah has her sights set on giving back to the environment in a stylish way.

— de elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Bekah Martinez on "The Bachelor," Social Media Bullying, and Hair Secrets," 27 June 2018

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

Meanings of environment

Descending from the Middle French preposition environ “around,” environment , in its most basic meaning, is “that which surrounds.” When preceded by the and unmodified, it usually refers to the natural world (“please don’t litter if you care about the environment”). In a less physical, more extended sense, it may signify the circumstances and conditions that make up everyday life (“He grew up in a loving environment.”) The word may also be applied in highly specialized ways, denoting, for example, “the position of a linguistic element” (“how g gets pronounced in Italian depends upon its phonetic environment”) or “a computer interface from which various tasks can be performed” (“the app works in varied environments").

First Known Use of environment

1827

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

environment Synonyms

Synonyms

ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, environs, medium, milieu, setting, surround, surroundings, terrain;

Related Words

location, place, position, space;

backdrop, background;

element;

situation, status;

geography, habitat;

Synonym Discussion of environment

background, setting, environment, milieu, mise-en-scène mean the place, time, and circumstances in which something occurs. background often refers to the circumstances or events that precede a phenomenon or development.

- the shocking decision was part of the background of the riots

setting suggests looking at real-life situations in literary or dramatic terms.

- a militant reformer who was born into an unlikely social setting

environment applies to all the external factors that have a formative influence on one's physical, mental, or moral development.

- the kind of environment that produces juvenile delinquents

milieu applies especially to the physical and social surroundings of a person or group of persons.

- an intellectual milieu conducive to artistic experimentation

mise-en-scène strongly suggests the use of properties to achieve a particular atmosphere or theatrical effect.

- a gothic thriller with a carefully crafted mise-en-scène

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

ENVIRONMENT Defined for English Language Learners

environment

noun

Definition of environment for English Language Learners

: the conditions that surround someone or something : the conditions and influences that affect the growth, health, progress, etc., of someone or something
the environment : the natural world

ENVIRONMENT Defined for Kids

environment

noun en·vi·ron·ment \ in-ˈvī-rən-mənt , -ˈvī-ərn-mənt \

Definition of environment for Students

1 : a person's physical surroundings

He lives in a comfortable rural environment.

2 : the surrounding conditions or forces (as soil, climate, and living things) that influence a plant's or animal's characteristics and ability to survive

3 : the social and cultural conditions that affect the life of a person or community

a happy home environment

Medical Dictionary

environment

noun en·vi·ron·ment \ in-ˈvī-rən-mənt , -ˈvī(-ə)rn- \

medical Definition of environment

1 : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival

2 : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community

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