physical environment

American  

[fiz-i-kuhl-en-vahy-ruhn-muhnt] / ˈfɪz ɪ kəl ɛnˈvaɪ rən mənt /

noun

physical environments plural

1. the parts of the environment that are tangible and primarily natural, though they may be influenced by human action (climate, geographical features, weather systems, etc.).

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• physical environments
  plural

Example Sentences

The problem is in the qubits, whose quantum states are particularly sensitive to changes in the physical environment, meaning anything from electromagnetic fields to heat.

From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025

Thus, human cognition and memory could be considered to take place not just in the human brain, nor just in human bodily instinct, but also in the physical environment itself.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2024

Spatial cognition, the ability of humans to perceive and navigate our physical environment, is a fundamental set of brain-based skills.

From Science Daily • Nov. 9, 2023

The newest signs are themed around biodiversity, ecosystems, the physical environment and pollution.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2023

Even as archaeologists try to work out how the area’s first inhabitants reshaped their physical environment, other scientists are beginning to trace out their impacts in its genetic heritage.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann