geography

noun

ge·​og·​ra·​phy jē-ˈä-grə-fē 

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 sense 1

her emotional geography

Synonyms

• topography
• landscape
• terrain

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 on the Web

Now, anyone can produce studio-quality audiovisual content from a prompt, collapsing traditional barriers of cost and geography. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025

Home to 44 countries, each with its own culture, geography, language, traditions, and cuisine, Europe is one of the world’s most popular continents to visit and a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many. —Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025

English clubs have retained their identity, their geography and, less glamorously, their financial stability and earning power by owning their own grounds outright (with the exception of West Ham, whose fans are the unhappiest at their team’s new home). —Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

For a landlocked country like Armenia, greater regional connectivity is a lifeline, and progress with Turkey, together with TRIPP, can transform Armenia's geography from a constraint into a strategic advantage, opening entirely new trade gateways for investors. —Narek Mkrtchyan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing geography

• dialect geography
• linguistic geography
• physical geography

Rhymes for geography

• arthrography
• biography
• cartography
• cosmography
• cryptography
• demography
• discography
• echography
• ethnography
• filmography
• hydrography
• lithography

Kids Definition

geography

noun

ge·​og·​ra·​phy jē-ˈäg-rə-fē 

plural geographies

1

: a science that deals with the location of living and nonliving things on earth and the way they affect one another

2

: the natural parts of an area

the geography of the western U.S.

geographer

-fər

noun

geographic

ˌjē-ə-ˈgraf-ik

adjective

or geographical

-i-kəl

geographically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb