climate

American  

[klahy-mit] / ˈklaɪ mɪt /

noun

climates plural

1. the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years.

2. a region or area characterized by a given climate.

   to move to a warm climate.

3. the prevailing attitudes, standards, or environmental conditions of a group, period, or place.

   a climate of political unrest.

   Synonyms:

   temper, tone, spirit, atmosphere, mood

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climate British  

/ ˈklaɪmɪt, klaɪˈmætɪk /

noun

1. the long-term prevalent weather conditions of an area, determined by latitude, position relative to oceans or continents, altitude, etc

2. an area having a particular kind of climate

3. a prevailing trend or current of feeling

   the political climate

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climate Scientific  

/ klī′mĭt /

1. The general or average weather conditions of a certain region, including temperature, rainfall, and wind. On Earth, climate is most affected by latitude, the tilt of the Earth's axis, the movements of the Earth's wind belts, the difference in temperatures of land and sea, and topography. Human activity, especially relating to actions relating to the depletion of the ozone layer, is also an important factor.

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climate Cultural  

1. A region's usual weather patterns. The climate at any point on Earth is determined by things such as the general movement of the atmosphere, the proximity of the oceans, and the altitude of the location.

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Usage

Climatic is sometimes wrongly used where climactic is meant. Climatic is properly used to talk about things relating to climate; climactic is used to describe something which forms a climax

Discover More

The climate also is affected by the sun, by changes in the orbit of the Earth, by plate tectonics, and by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, which may lead to a greenhouse effect.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subclimate
  noun
• climatic
  adjective
• climatically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• climates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of climate

First recorded in 1350–1400, for an earlier sense; 1595–1605 climate for def. 2; Middle English climat, from Latin clīmat- (stem of clīma ), from Greek klīmat- , stem of klī́ma “slope,” from klī́(nein) “to bend, lean, slope” + -ma, noun suffix

Explanation

The climate is the general weather in a particular region. Florida is known for its temperate climate. The word climate is also used figuratively to mean "the usual conditions," as in "It's a favorable climate for school reform." Climate descends from Greek klima "region, surface of the earth," and from klinein "to slope." The original use of the word climate in English was in reference to one of the sloping zones of the earth from the equator toward the poles. This meaning was often used to refer to weather conditions in a zone of the earth, which developed into the current meaning of "the weather."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

climate climates

It may also have contributed to mass extinctions by changing ocean chemistry, climate, and the amount of oxygen available in seawater.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

Responding to the proposals, Polish climate minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska said Poland would push to weaken the policy further.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Advocates have stressed the connection between repeated episodes of wildfire smoke and climate change.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Germany’s producer-price index for June on Monday will be followed by Germany’s ZEW economic sentiment index for July due on Tuesday and the German GfK consumer climate survey on Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Neanderthals, bulkier and more muscular than us Sapiens, were well adapted to the cold climate of Ice Age western Eurasia.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Dominic typically opts for reds from cooler climates like Austria or Germany.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

As the heatwave is still unfolding, scientists used observed and forecast temperatures to compare this heatwave against how it might have behaved in the cooler climates of 2003 and 1976.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

"These correlations with temperature begin to give a sense for how much melt or snowline retreat we can anticipate under future, warmer climates across the region," Wells said.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

Watch how custom-made, natural-grass pitches are being installed across 16 stadiums, overcoming wildly different climates to ensure consistent play across the tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

In contrast, crops and animals moved easily between Eurasian societies thousands of miles apart but at the same latitude and sharing similar climates and day lengths.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• atmosphere
• environment
• feeling
• mood
• surroundings
• trend