milieu

noun

mi·​lieu mēl-ˈyü  -ˈyər 

-ˈyə,

-ˈyœ;

ˈmēl-ˌyü

plural milieus or milieux mēl-ˈyüz  -ˈyə(r)(z) 

-ˈyœ(z);

ˈmēl-ˌyü(z)

: the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment

Did you know?

Milieu Entered English in the 1800s

Milieu comes from Old French mi (meaning "middle") and lieu ("place"). The word refers to an environment or setting. In English, lieu also is used to mean "place" and most often occurs in the phrase "in lieu of," as in "Cash is preferred but in lieu of cash a credit card is acceptable."

Synonyms

• ambient
• atmosphere
• climate
• clime
• context
• contexture
• environment
• environs
• medium
• mise-en-scène
• setting
• surround
• surroundings
• terrain

Choose the Right Synonym for milieu

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

Examples of milieu in a Sentence

Theirs was a bohemian milieu in which people often played romantic musical chairs. —Edmund White, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009

People in France admire the United States, and much of what passes for anti-Americanism is limited to the intellectual milieu of Paris. —Jonathan Alter et al., Newsweek, 29 May 2000

She might stay home, might marry and live as a housewife. And if her milieu does not sanction such a solution, there are, she knows, milieux which do. —David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry: Essays, 1999

Certainly there are very few American milieus today in which having read the latest work of Joyce Carol Oates or Richard Ford is more valuable, as social currency, than having caught the latest John Travolta movie or knowing how to navigate the Web. —Jonathan Franzen, Harper's, April 1996

They're caught in their own hazy milieu—working, smoking, talking, drinking. —Gerri Hirshey, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 1992

young, innovative artists thrive in the freewheeling milieu that a big city offers

Recent Examples on the Web

High performance is spawned and nurtured in a milieu of freedom. —Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Liquid’s unnamed narrator, who lives in this bleak milieu, is at one of the most relatably challenging points in life. —Porochista Khakpour, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025

Historians may come to conclude that one of the most consequential moments of Donald Trump’s return to the White House took place on the first full day of his second term and in a church, not the president’s most natural milieu. —John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025

By making his milieu familiar to a modern audience, Hytner and Bailey ignore the profound strangeness of Richard, who gains dominion over himself only by letting a nation slip through his fingers. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, midst, from mi middle (from Latin medius) + lieu place, from Latin locus — more at mid, stall

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for milieu

• adieu
• deux

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Kids Definition

milieu

noun

mi·​lieu mēl-ˈyə(r)  -ˈyü 

ˈmēl-ˌyü

: surroundings, setting

Medical Definition

milieu

noun

mi·​lieu mēl-ˈyə(r)  -ˈyü; ˈmēl-ˌyü 

mē-lyœ̅

plural milieus or milieux -ˈyə(r)(z), -ˈyüz; -ˌyü(z), -lyœ̅(z) 

: environment