environment
noun
-ˈvī(-ə)r(n)-
\
Definition of environment
1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded
2a : 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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Other Words from environment
-ˌvī(-ə)r(n)-
\
adjective
-ˌvī(-ə)r(n)-
\
adverb
Synonyms for environment
Synonyms
ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, environs, medium, milieu, setting, surround, surroundings, terrain
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Examples of environment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s good news for the environment—and the Tesla drivers who have their tow company on speed dial. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "U.K. will soon require new homes to include electric vehicle charging ports," 10 July 2018 Under the federal Clean Water Act, private citizens can sue private companies for harming the environment. — David North, Chicago Reader, "Sickened surfers say the best waves in Lake Michigan are in the polluted waters off northwest Indiana," 10 July 2018 This strategic move to replace Dock Landing Ships with an LPD 17-like hull seems to speak to a Navy effort to expand amphibious capability to adjust to a new, fast-changing threat environment. — Kris Osborn, Fox News, "Navy pushes for more amphibious assault ships," 13 July 2018 But even then, a majority of operators will stick to highly predictable environments, like suburban communities with robust roads and signage. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "This electric driverless logging truck can carry up to 16 tons of timber," 12 July 2018 Legionnaires’ disease is caused by a type of bacteria commonly found in fresh water environments, like lakes and streams, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Megan Jones, Aurora Beacon-News, "Cases of Legionnaires' disease down in Kane County; 9 cases recently reported in McHenry," 11 July 2018 These were donated by her family members as a way of showing current students the simple, yet revealing way a teacher taught about the environment, seasons and historic events. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 As they are relegated to more and more restricted environments, their vulnerability only increases. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "How Humans Created the Ultimate Superpests," 9 July 2018 For New Yorker Robert Sullivan, the act of giving directions functions as a barometer of a city’s health, because at the heart of all urban environments, both ones that thrive and ones that fail, is something very basic: human interactions. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "How Brooklyn Lost Itself," 6 July 2018These 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.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
11 Colorful Words for Autumn Foliage
11 Colorful Words for Autumn Foliage
Peep these leaves.
Dictionary Entries near environment
Statistics for environment
Last Updated
19 Oct 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for environment
The first known use of environment was in 1827
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More Definitions for environment
environment
noun
English Language Learners Definition of environment
: 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
See the full definition for environment in the English Language Learners Dictionary
environment
noun
-ˈvī-ərn-mənt\
Kids Definition of environment
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
environment
noun
-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
Other Words from environment
\
adjective
\
adverb
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