geography

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noun ge·og·ra·phy \ jē-ˈä-grə-fē \

Definition of geography

plural geographies

1 :a science that deals with the description, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical, biological, and cultural features of the earth's surface

2 :the geographic features of an area

3 :a treatise on geography

4 a :a delineation or systematic arrangement of constituent elements :configuration

the philosophers … have tried to construct geographies of human reason
—Times Literary Supplement

b :makeup 1

her emotional geography

See geography defined for English-language learners

See geography defined for kids

Examples of geography in a Sentence

studying the geography of the western United States
the geography of the region matches ancient descriptions of the location of the lost city

Recent Examples of geography from the Web

Since then, construction of neighborhoods and the park have vastly changed the geography of the region.

— NOLA.com, "Before Pontchartrain Beach, there was Old Spanish Fort," 19 July 2017
Weigner was a seventh grade geography teacher and cross-country coach for 35 years before retiring.

— mcgee nall, Fox News, "3-time cancer survivor breaks record for marathons run in most countries," 18 July 2017
Ismay, a favorite of Churchill’s and a military adviser to British governments, had a remarkable sense of history — namely that constants such as historical memory, geography, and national character always transcend the politics of the day.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Lord Ismay, NATO, and the Old-New World Order," 5 July 2017
A recent New York Times piece points out some partial answers, including strategic decisions by political leaders to court immigrant votes, and policies and lucky geography that lead to civil integration of immigrants.

— jeff d. colgan, Washington Post, "Canada turns 150 today — and it’s enjoying a new global role," 1 July 2017
Atlanta has one of the highest levels of air pollutants because of congestion, its landlocked geography and heat.

— manuel bojorquez, CBS News, "Air pollution levels considered safe can still shorten lifespans, study shows," 28 June 2017
The vexed question is one of those problems on the borderline of history and geography that are fascinating and perhaps insoluble.

— Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 28 June 2017
Because of the spread-out geography of west Texas, access is incredibly fraught.

— caitlin cruz, Glamour, "Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt," 27 June 2017
This recently changed for a number of reasons, the first being the geography of the war.

— faysal itani, The Atlantic, "The U.S. Enters a New Phase in Syria," 21 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of geography

Latin geographia, from Greek geōgraphia, from geōgraphein to describe the earth's surface, from geō- + graphein to write — more at carve

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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geography Synonyms

Synonyms

chorography, geomorphology, landscape, terrain, topography

Related Words

scenery; ground, land, landform, terrane, terrene

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

GEOGRAPHY Defined for English Language Learners

geography

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noun

Definition of geography for English Language Learners

: an area of study that deals with the location of countries, cities, rivers, mountains, lakes, etc.
: the natural features (such as rivers, mountains, etc.) of a place