stratosphere

noun

strato·​sphere ˈstra-tə-ˌsfir 

1

: the part of the earth's atmosphere which extends from the top of the troposphere to about 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface and in which temperature increases gradually to about 32°F (0°C) and clouds rarely form

2

: a very high or the highest region on or as if on a graded scale

construction costs in the stratosphere

the celebrity stratosphere

stratospheric

ˌstra-tə-ˈsfir-ik 

-ˈsfer-

adjective

stratospherically

ˌstra-tə-ˈsfir-i-k(ə-)lē

-ˈsfer-

adverb

Did you know?

The stratosphere (strato- simply means "layer" or "level") lies above the earth's weather and mostly changes very little. It contains the ozone layer, which shields us from the sun's ultraviolet radiation except where it's been harmed by manmade chemicals. The levels of the atmosphere are marked particularly by their temperatures; stratospheric temperatures rise only to around 32°—very moderate considering that temperatures in the troposphere below may descend to about -70° and those in the ionosphere above may rise to 1000°.

Examples of stratosphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, Jokic seems to be ascending toward a stratosphere within the nation’s history occupied only by Djokovic, the record-holding 24-time Grand Slam winner who has spent more than 400 weeks atop the world ranking. —Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2024

Babe's social graces and connections gave Paley access to and in many instances, acceptance in worlds he had previously been barred from, while Paley's immense power and influence as an executive kept the couple firmly in the center of the social stratosphere. —Cady Lang, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024

In the 1956 Hollywood adventure flick The Mountain, all the characters gaze upon this preternaturally beautiful Indian woman as if she’s arrived from another stratosphere. —Hazlitt, 31 Jan. 2024

Still, word of mouth wasn't enough to propel Levi and co. to the box office stratosphere, with Fury of the Gods stalling out at $57.6 million domestically. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2023

The rotating mass of cold air that circles in the Arctic stratosphere is infamous for triggering extreme cold and storms in various regions, but fortunately that has not happened in this case, according to Butler, the author of NOAA's new polar vortex blog. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024

So far, the drama has mostly surrounded a different strategy called stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), which involves catapulting particles up into Earth’s stratosphere to reflect sunlight back into space. —Justine Calma, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024

But also because history itself serves up what would no doubt be one of the production’s most dramatic scenes: Poiret, on the descent, meets Coco Chanel, very much on her way to fashion’s stratosphere. —Mark Holgate, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2024

There’s something afoot in the starlet stratosphere. —Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French stratosphère, probably from stratus stratus (from the zone's layer-like character, compared to stratus clouds) + -o- -o- + -sphère -sphere

Note: The term was introduced, along with troposphère, by the French meteorologist Léon Tesserenc de Bort (1855-1913). See note at troposphere.

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stratosphere

• the stratosphere

Kids Definition

stratosphere

noun

strato·​sphere ˈstrat-ə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

: an upper portion of the atmosphere above the troposphere where temperature changes little and clouds rarely form