meteorologist

American  

[mee-tee-uh-rol-uh-jist] / ˌmi ti əˈrɒl ə dʒɪst /

noun

meteorologists plural

1. a scientist who studies the atmosphere and its phenomena, including weather and climate.

   I was the meteorologist for a radio news station in Ottawa, preparing the daily weather forecasts five days a week.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• meteorologists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of meteorologist

First recorded in 1630–40; meteorolog(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

The expert TV reporter who presents the nightly weather forecast is a meteorologist. If you want to know if it's going to rain on your picnic this weekend, ask a meteorologist! Meteorologists get their name from the Greek meteōrologia, "discussion or study of high things." The "high thing" meteorologists study and report on is the planet's atmosphere — and the way it affects the weather. While people have tried to predict the weather for centuries, it's only recently that science has caught up with this goal, and meteorologists usually get it right.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

meteorologist meteorologists

The expected duration of the heat wave — at least several days, if not longer — “can really be concerning,” said Robbie Munroe, meteorologist with the weather service’s Oxnard office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist for NWS, told AFP that winds over the Great Lakes could push more smoke into the Northeast, which could keep skies hazy.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Germany's DWD weather service said large areas of the country were experiencing "heat stress" and DWD meteorologist Oliver Reuter said it was "quite likely" the heatwave would ultimately be seen as historic.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

While watching Monday night’s game, I emailed Dodger fan Edgar McGregor, the meteorologist who warned neighbors about the catastrophic weather conditions that resulted in the Eaton fire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

How did two boys from Canada know a meteorologist from Miami?

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Both sugar and Indonesian palm oil are among the commodities threatened by what meteorologists expect to be an especially strong El Nino, which could bring drought and disrupt rainfall patterns across key farming regions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Last year, Allen came under fire after announcing sweeping cuts at about two dozen local affiliates that included laying off meteorologists, part of a reorganization to centralize forecasts at the Weather Channel in Atlanta.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

Still, meteorologists caution that “below normal” does not mean risk-free, especially with ocean temperatures remaining unusually warm in parts of the Atlantic.

From Salon ● May 25, 2026

If the conditions aren't right then the space agency's meteorologists will be the ones to "scrub" or cancel the mission.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

“You know when hurricane winds grow quickly, when they explode, meteorologists call that rapid intensification, and I guess it’s super hard to predict. But...I think I felt that way when I broke the frame.”

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Related Words

• prognosticator
• seer
• witch