tropical

adjective

trop·​i·​cal

for sense 1

ˈträ-pi-kəl 

 for sense 2  ˈtrō-,

 also  ˈträ-

1

a

: of, relating to, occurring in, or suitable for use in the tropics

tropical forests

a tropical disease

b

: of, being, or characteristic of a region or climate that is frost-free with temperatures high enough to support year-round plant growth given sufficient moisture

tropical Florida

2

: figurative sense 2

tropically

ˈträ-pi-k(ə-)lē 

ˈtrō-

adverb

Synonyms

• equatorial
• low

Examples of tropical in a Sentence

wanted to escape winter and visit some tropical location where freezing to death would not be a possibility

an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

Recent Examples on the Web

The National Weather Service issued an alert Monday afternoon that a weak tropical wave was passing near the South Florida region. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024

Since then, however, the Atlantic has been bereft of tropical activity, and the National Hurricane Center doesn’t anticipate storm development for at least a week. —Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 22 July 2024

Mamey sapote, scientifically known as Pouteria sapota, is a tropical tree native to Mexico and other areas of Central America. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Ld, Health, 22 July 2024

Native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, it is thought that Dutch botanists introduced the fascinating foliage to Victorian England in the mid 1800s. —Abigayle Ward, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) Middle English tropikal "pertaining to the three circles of the celestial sphere (the two tropics and the equinoctial circle)," from tropik tropic entry 1 + -al -al entry 1; (sense 2) Latin tropicus "pertaining to figures of speech" (borrowed from Greek tropikós, from trópos "figurative expression, trope" + -ikos -ic entry 1) + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tropical

• tropical aquarium
• tropical cyclone
• tropical fish
• tropical oil
• tropical rainforest
• tropical sprue
• tropical storm

Kids Definition

tropical

adjective

trop·​i·​cal ˈträp-i-kəl 

: of, relating to, occurring in, or used in the tropics

tropically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb