climate change

American  

[klahy-mit cheynj] / ˈklaɪ mɪt ˌtʃeɪndʒ /

noun

1. 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.

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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

In the last quarter-century, the Colorado River has lost about 20% of its flow, and research shows climate change has intensified the long stretch of mostly dry years.

From Los Angeles Times

We can think of climate change as a pendulum: as it intensifies, it swings from one extreme to another, hot and cold and dry and wet.

From Salon

Some research suggests climate change could be playing a role in disruptions to the polar vortex -- a vast region of cold, low-pressure air that normally circulates high above the Arctic.

From Barron's

Civil society and environmental groups led by local NGO Justica Ambiental have decried a "gas rush" as a "climate bomb" in a country considered extremely vulnerable to climate change.

From Barron's

Scientists expected the opposite, but polar bears in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard have become fatter and healthier since the early 1990s, all while sea ice has steadily declined due to climate change.

From BBC