environmental
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the totality of things, conditions, influences, cultural forces, etc., that surround and shape the life of a person or a population.
Investigators in the study will examine possible associations between aggressive prostate cancer and exposures to environmental stressors such as discrimination, early-life adversity, and segregation.
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Ecology. of or relating to all the external conditions, such as air, water, minerals, and other organisms, that surround and affect any given organism, often specifically relating to human interaction with these conditions.
She took 11 lake samples to identify the fish communities present there and the defining environmental factors, like dissolved oxygen, pH, and vegetation.
Agriculture is now a dominant force behind many environmental threats, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of land and fresh water.
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of or being art that surrounds the viewer or involves the viewer’s participation, often on a grand scale and outdoors.
Our programs include an exhibition of global art, public lectures on birds, and a collaborative outdoor installation of environmental art.
Usage
What does environmental mean? Environmental means of or relating to all the things that surround us and influence our lives, as in For some people, environmental stressors included how crowded a room is and how loud the noise is. In ecology, environmental also means of or relating to all external conditions that surround an organism, such as air, water, and minerals. When someone talks about climate change and its environmental impact, they mean that as the average temperature of the Earth changes, it affects the environment, such as through soil erosion, flooding, and more. Less often, environmental describes something that surrounds the viewer or encourages their participation, as with some outdoor art. Example: The environmental damage this project will cause might be unreasonable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of environmental
Explanation
Environmental is the adjective form of environment, referring to a surrounding area. The word is usually used to refer to our ecology and the forces that act to change it. The noun environment, meaning the "state of being environed," first appeared around 1600. The word as referring to our natural surroundings was first recorded in 1827, and the popular idea of environmental concern in an ecological sense first appeared in 1956. In recent decades, the movement toward environmental awareness has grown rapidly. In a 1997 interview, environmentalist Barry Commoner noted that "Environmental concern is now firmly embedded in public life."
Vocabulary lists containing environmental
Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Day
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Ancient Egypt and Kush, Lessons 1–3
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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.
“At what point do they jump back in the water? When does it become economically necessary, and how do you weigh that against environmental risks and the political dimension?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
To find out, we asked an expert in environmental policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Critics have argued that organic material detected in fossils could have entered the specimens much later from microbes, soil, handling, or other environmental sources.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
It has since been revised by a stakeholder group of farmers, agri-food representatives, conservationists and environmental groups.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Mr. Eberhardt explained that he had borrowed the file, xeroxed every page, and then taken the material to some lawyers who were experts on environmental matters.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
