milieu

noun mi·lieu \ mēl-ˈyər , -ˈyə , -ˈyü , -ˈyœ ; ˈmēl-ˌyü \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of milieu

plural milieus or milieux play \-ˈyə(r)(z), -ˈyüz, -ˈyœ(z); -ˌyü(z)\

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

See milieu defined for English-language learners

See milieu defined for kids

milieu was our Word of the Day on 04/18/2013. Hear the podcast!

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 of milieu from the Web

Until now, nobody won big at night—the intended milieu of Vuarnet’s deep yellow Nightlynx lenses, which are tinted and optically tuned for when the sun don’t shine.

— Outside Online, "The Best Sunglasses of 2018," 15 May 2018
Three-mile-long Tilghman Island (tilghmanisland.com/) is revered for its rustic milieu, multi-generational watermen and Phillips Wharf Environment Center’s touchy-feely nature experiences.

— stephanie citron, baltimoresun.com, "Can’t-miss detours along Maryland's Eastern Shore to explore on your beach trip this summer," 8 May 2018
No pillar of the British food pantheon better illustrates this dank milieu than the chip butty.

— alex siquig, GQ, "The Chip Butty Is the Deranged Nonsensical Sandwich of My Dreams," 7 May 2018
Crucial to the club's lasting popularity are its no-cover Wednesday nights and its ever-changing Saturday nights -- the current House of Wong theme draws the straight, the gay, and everything in between for a thoroughly Felliniesque milieu.

— rene rodriguez, miamiherald, "Think South Beach is crazy now? Here's what the club scene was like in 1994 | Miami Herald," 5 May 2018
There are movies that attend to the game itself and the nuances of play; then there are those that focus on the social milieu in and around the game.

— ty burr, BostonGlobe.com, "So what are the best sports movies?," 3 May 2018
Along with its dark tale of Scientology, Hall’s new book describes the milieu in which she was raised, and alludes to some of those literary high times.

— leah garchik, San Francisco Chronicle, "Protest sign suggests crafts project for melted-down guns," 28 Mar. 2018
Much like a Wilde comedy, everything here lies in plain view right on the surface — true to a milieu in which artifice and style channel all about the self that could not be fully expressed.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Monty Python fans may love'Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder'," 2 May 2018
Clyde and Iggy and a jazz pianist from Loyola University's Music Department provided a musical milieu for guests who noshed on food from Midway Pizza, Mona's, Matassa's, Juan's Flying Burrito, and Raphael families.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "Soraparu Soiree builds a Raphael Village," 1 May 2018

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

milieu Entered English in the 1800s

The etymology of milieu comes down to "mi" and "lieu." English speakers learned the word (and borrowed both its spelling and meaning) from French. The modern French term comes from two much older French forms, mi, meaning "middle," and lieu, meaning "place." Like so many terms in the Romance languages, those Old French forms can ultimately be traced to Latin; "mi" is an offspring of the Latin medius(meaning "middle") and "lieu" is a derivative of "locus" (meaning "place"). English speakers have used "milieu" for the environment or setting of something since at least the mid-1800s, but other "lieu" descendants are much older. We've used both "lieu" itself (meaning "place" or "stead," as in "in lieu of") and "lieutenant" since the 14th century.

Origin and Etymology of milieu

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1854

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

milieu Synonyms

Synonyms

ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, environment, environs, medium, setting, surround, surroundings, terrain;

Related Words

location, place, position, space;

backdrop, background;

element;

situation, status;

geography, habitat;

Synonym Discussion of 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

MILIEU Defined for English Language Learners

milieu

noun

Definition of milieu for English Language Learners

: the physical or social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develops

Medical Dictionary

milieu

noun mi·lieu \ mēl-ˈyə(r) , -ˈyü; ˈmēl-ˌyü , mē-lyœ̅ \

medical Definition of milieu

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

: environment

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See words that rhyme with milieu Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for milieu Spanish Central: Translation of milieu Nglish: Translation of milieu for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of milieu for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about milieu

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milieu

Definition of milieu

milieu was our Word of the Day on 04/18/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of milieu in a Sentence

Recent Examples of milieu from the Web

milieu Entered English in the 1800s

Origin and Etymology of milieu

milieu Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of milieu

MILIEU Defined for English Language Learners

milieu

Definition of milieu for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

milieu

medical Definition of milieu

Learn More about milieu

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