meteorology

noun me·te·o·rol·o·gy \ ˌmē-tē-ə-ˈrä-lə-jē \

Updated on: 26 May 2018

Definition of meteorology

1 : a science that deals with the atmosphere and its phenomena and especially with weather and weather forecasting

studied the principles of meteorology

2 : the atmospheric phenomena and weather of a region

the meteorology of the Gulf of Mexico

—

meteorologic

play \-rə-ˈlä-jik\ or meteorological play \-ji-kəl\ adjective

—

meteorologically

play \-ji-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

—

meteorologist

play \-ˈrä-lə-jist\ noun

See meteorology defined for English-language learners

See meteorology defined for kids

Recent Examples of meteorology from the Web

Tornadoes are more likely to form in the southeast portion of the US from mid-April to early May, Dr. Jeffrey Basara, an associate professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, told Fox News.

— madeline farber, Fox News, "'Tornado Alley' and other things to know during tornado season," 16 May 2018
One simple rule of meteorology: Air moves from relatively higher pressure toward relatively lower pressure.

— robert krier, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Make way for May gray," 10 May 2018
Jeff Masters, the director of meteorology for The Weather Underground, estimated the storm had a 10 percent chance of developing, possibly into a tropical system, in the next few days.

— martin vassolo, miamiherald, "A tropical 'disturbance' is moving toward Florida, and forecasters are watching it," 3 May 2018
Jeff Masters, the director of the of meteorology for The Weather Underground, estimated the storm had a 10 percent chance of developing, possibly into a tropical system, in the next few days, the Herald reported.

— joe marusak, charlotteobserver, "Carolinas 'keeping a careful eye' on Florida tropical disturbance | Charlotte Observer," 3 May 2018
Joe D’Aleo was the first director of meteorology at the Weather Channel and helped Coleman launch the network in 1982.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "‘We pulled off everyday miracles’: Inside the birth of the Weather Channel," 19 Apr. 2018
His foray into chasing was cautious and methodical, including his enrollment in a basic meteorology program in 1990.

— maya wei-haas, Smithsonian, "How a Legendary Storm Chaser Changed the Face of Tornado Science," 5 Apr. 2018
The firm said Monday that its customer Spire Global will have two Lemur-2 cubesats—small satellites used for meteorology and ship traffic tracking—on board a launch that will blast off from Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula.

— jason murdock, Newsweek, "Rocket Lab: U.S. Space Startup Says First Commercial Flight in ‘Coming Weeks’," 14 Mar. 2018
Francis, who studied meteorology and earned her Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences, said three-quarters of Arctic ice volume has disappeared in the last 40 years.

— frank kummer, Philly.com, "How Arctic warming may be causing our harsh winter," 13 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of meteorology

French or Greek; French météorologie, from Middle French, from Greek meteōrologia, from meteōron + -logia -logy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1563

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

METEOROLOGY Defined for English Language Learners

meteorology

noun

Definition of meteorology for English Language Learners

: a science that deals with the atmosphere and with weather

METEOROLOGY Defined for Kids

meteorology

noun me·te·o·rol·o·gy \ ˌmē-tē-ə-ˈrä-lə-jē \

Definition of meteorology for Students

: a science that deals with the atmosphere, weather, and weather forecasting

Learn More about meteorology

Spanish Central: Translation of meteorology Nglish: Translation of meteorology for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of meteorology for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about meteorology

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up meteorology? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

meteorology

Definition of meteorology

meteorologic

meteorologically

meteorologist

Recent Examples of meteorology from the Web

Origin and Etymology of meteorology

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

METEOROLOGY Defined for English Language Learners

meteorology

Definition of meteorology for English Language Learners

METEOROLOGY Defined for Kids

meteorology

Definition of meteorology for Students

Learn More about meteorology

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

riposte

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Noun + Verb Insult Generator

'Judicial' v. 'Judicious': We'll Settle The Case

'Deprived' vs. 'Depraved'

'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

8 Insults Made Up of a Noun and a Verb

'Judicial' v. 'Judicious': We'll Settle The Case

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Trending: Melania Trump Undergoes 'Embolization'

Ghost Word

meteorology

Definition of meteorology

meteorologic

meteorologically

meteorologist

Recent Examples of meteorology from the Web

Origin and Etymology of meteorology

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

METEOROLOGY Defined for English Language Learners

meteorology

Definition of meteorology for English Language Learners

METEOROLOGY Defined for Kids

meteorology

Definition of meteorology for Students

Learn More about meteorology

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

8 Insults Made Up of a Noun and a Verb

'Judicial' v. 'Judicious': We'll Settle The Case

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Trending: Melania Trump Undergoes 'Embolization'

Ghost Word