geography

[jee-og-ruh-fee]

noun

plural

geographies 

1. the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth's surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and interrelations over the world of such elements as climate, elevation, soil, vegetation, population, land use, industries, or states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements.

2. the study of this science.

3. the topographical features of a region, usually of the earth, sometimes of the planets.

4. a book dealing with this science or study, as a textbook.

5. the arrangement of features of any complex entity.

   the geography of the mind.

geography

/ dʒɪˈɒɡrəfɪ, ˌdʒɪəˈɡræfɪkəl /

noun

1. the study of the natural features of the earth's surface, including topography, climate, soil, vegetation, etc, and man's response to them

2. the natural features of a region

3. an arrangement of constituent parts; plan; layout

geography

1. The scientific study of the Earth's surface and its various climates, countries, peoples, and natural resources.

2. The physical characteristics, especially the surface features, of an area.

Other Word Forms

• geographically adverb
• geographical adjective
• geographer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of geography¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin geōgraphia, from Greek geōgraphía “earth description”; equivalent to geo- + -graphy

Example Sentences

The mother of a geography student who took his own life after being wrongly told he could not graduate says her son was "failed" by his university.

Read more on BBC

Hunger intersects with nearly every facet of life: wages, geography, transportation, the trade-offs between buying groceries and paying for health care.

Read more on Salon

It questioned the impact on staffing, the costs of transport and what it would mean for schools' ability to take part in other trips relating to geography, history or the arts.

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“Hollywood is both a place and an idea. It’s an industry and a geography. Jimmy is always big on both. He actually lives in Hollywood, at a time when not a lot of stars do.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Its geography and "porous borders" make it an ideal transit point for illicit drugs, the UN says.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• earth science 
• geology 
• geopolitics 
• topography