subtropical

adjective

sub·​trop·​i·​cal ˌsəb-ˈträ-pi-kəl 

variants or less commonly subtropic

ˌsəb-ˈträ-pik 

: of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone

subtropical environment

subtropical grasses

Examples of subtropical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is an area of low pressure that forms west to northwest of Hawai’i during the cool season (November through March) and often taps into subtropical moisture. —Jen Murphy, Outside, 24 Mar. 2026

Many plants sold as gifts, such as the Norfolk Island pines popular as living Christmas trees, are tropical or subtropical species. —Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026

At the time, present-day North America had a subtropical climate and was split in half by a seaway that ran from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Arctic. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026

But a kona storm, a type of seasonal subtropical cyclone, brings warmer, moisture-rich winds from the south to southwest, which can bring torrential rainfall, according to the weather service. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subtropical

• intertropical
• microscopical
• neotropical
• topical
• tropical

Kids Definition

subtropical

adjective

sub·​trop·​i·​cal ˌsəb-ˈträp-i-kəl 

ˈsəb-

variants also subtropic

-ˈträp-ik 

: of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone

subtropical forests