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

They say the discovery sheds light on how changes in ancient climatic conditions allowed gigantic dinosaurs to develop.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

For the Mother Tree Project, Ms. Simard and her colleagues worked with provincial and indigenous authorities, as well as forestry executives, to establish nine test sites across a range of climatic regions in British Columbia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

It is spreading to previously untouched regions and becoming endemic, driven by changing climatic conditions and expanding human settlements, say health officials, with millions potentially at risk of infection.

From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 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