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climate change

American

[klahy-mit chaynj] / ˈklaɪ mɪt ˌtʃeɪndʒ /

noun

a long-term change in the earth's climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.

Melting glaciers imply that life in the Arctic is affected by climate change.

Usage

What is climate change? Climate change refers to a sweeping change in global climate conditions, including weather phenomena, temperature, and sea levels. It’s caused by an influx of greenhouse gases, mostly from fossil fuel emissions around the world. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere and change weather patterns, warming many areas of the globe and causing erratic season and weather events. How is term pronounced?[ klahy-mit cheynj ]

Etymology

Origin of climate change

First recorded in 1980–85

Compare meaning

How does climate-change compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

global warming vs. climate change

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

climate change

Scientist have projected for years that climate change would lead to fewer Santa Anas by the end of the century.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Tim Faire, FUW's land use and climate change committee chair, said: "Farmers across Wales have hosted mobile masts in good faith for decades, helping to keep rural communities connected."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

"AI can also have a detrimental impact on climate change from that angle," said Maria Joao Sousa, executive director of Climate Change AI, a nonprofit promoting the use of AI for climate action.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Although the disease has not been detected in the United Kingdom, climate change could eventually create conditions that allow it to threaten cereal production in northern Europe.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

And there is broad consensus that the greatest of these threats is climate change, or, more specifically, global warming.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023