climatic

American  

[klahy-mat-ik] / klaɪˈmæt ɪk /

Also climatical,

adjective

1. of or relating to climate.

2. (of ecological phenomena) due to climate rather than to soil or topography.

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Usage

What’s the difference between climatic and climactic? Climatic means relating to climate—the average atmospheric conditions that prevail in a given region over a long period of time—whether a place is generally cold and wet or hot and dry, for example. Climactic is used to describe things that involve or feel like a climax—the culmination or most intense part of a story or situation. Climactic is used in situations in which a peak of some kind is being reached, such as a climactic ending of a movie. The word anticlimactic is used—perhaps more commonly—to mean the opposite, such as when you expect something exciting to happen but it doesn’t. Climatic is not all that commonly used, especially because it has a much more narrow meaning. It’s typically used in scientific contexts involving climate and weather, like the climatic conditions of a region. You can keep their spellings straight by remembering that climactic comes from climax, so it needs that c in replacement of the x before the ending -tic. Climatic, on the other hand, is basically climate plus the ending -ic (with the e having been dropped). Here’s an example of climatic and climactic used correctly in a sentence. Example: Many people have failed to recognize the danger of the change in climatic conditions because the change has been a relatively gradual one, rather than a dramatic, climactic spike—but that may soon change. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between climatic and climactic.

Other Word Forms

• climatically adverb
• subclimatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of climatic

First recorded in 1820–30; climate + -ic

Explanation

Anything that has to do with weather or other conditions related to climate is climatic. If you're worried about climatic effects on your skin, you are concerned about winter dryness, UV exposure and windburn. The adjective climatic is perfect for describing anything related to a climate. You might read that climatic changes have led to shrinking glaciers and starving polar bears, just as your grandmother might talk every winter about the climatic difference from when she was a girl. Climatic comes from the word "climate," which in turn has its roots in the Latin word clima, meaning "region."

Example Sentences

The authors conclude that this combination of climatic disruption, famine, and grain transport offers a plausible explanation for how the Black Death began and spread across Europe.

From Science Daily • Dec. 8, 2025

Biting midges are most active from April to November and the potential for spread depends on climatic conditions and wind patterns with lower temperatures significantly reducing the risk, the department said.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

"The biggest surprise for me was that the abandonment of cities occurred under improving climatic conditions," Kennett noted.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

The outlook for 2025 confirms "a period of persistently reduced global supply, impacted by climatic challenges and evolving consumption models", it said.

From Barron's • Nov. 12, 2025

If these climatic and geological disasters occurred throughout the Norte Chico, they could have brought to an end the civilization that began in the area two millennia before.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• meteorological