environment

American  

[en-vahy-ruhn-muhnt, -vahy-ern-] / ɛnˈvaɪ rən mənt, -ˈvaɪ ərn- /

noun

1. the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu.

   Synonyms:

   environs, locale

2. Ecology. the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time.

3. the social and cultural forces that shape the life of a person or a population.

4. Computers. the hardware or software configuration, or the mode of operation, of a computer system.

   In a time-sharing environment, transactions are processed as they occur.

5. an indoor or outdoor setting characterized by the presence of environmental art that is designed specifically to make use of that site.

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environment British  

/ ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt /

noun

1. external conditions or surroundings, esp those in which people live or work

2. ecology the external surroundings in which a plant or animal lives, which tend to influence its development and behaviour

3. the state of being environed; encirclement

4. computing an operating system, program, or integrated suite of programs that provides all the facilities necessary for a particular application

   a word-processing environment

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environment Scientific  

/ ĕn-vī′rən-mənt /

1. All of the biotic and abiotic factors that act on an organism, population, or ecological community and influence its survival and development. Biotic factors include the organisms themselves, their food, and their interactions. Abiotic factors include such items as sunlight, soil, air, water, climate, and pollution. Organisms respond to changes in their environment by evolutionary adaptations in form and behavior.

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Synonym Usage

Environment, milieu, ambiance, setting, surroundings all refer to what makes up the atmosphere or background against which someone or something is seen. Environment may refer either to actual physical surroundings or to social or cultural background factors: an environment of crime and grinding poverty. Milieu, encountered most often in literary writing, refers to intangible aspects of the environment: an exhilarating milieu of artistic ferment and innovation. Ambiance applies to the atmosphere of the surroundings, their mood or tone: an ambiance of ease and elegance. Setting suggests a background that sets something off: a perfect setting for the emerald. Surroundings alludes specifically to the physical aspects of the environment: awoke in strange surroundings; blend in with her surroundings. See ecosystem ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

• environmental
  adjective
• environmentally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of environment

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Middle French environnement; see environ, -ment

Explanation

Think of the environment as everything that is around you. A quiet room with good lighting and no distractions is a good environment for doing homework, or at least that's what your parents and teachers think. Environment generally refers to your surroundings. If something is good for the environment, it is beneficial to the complex system of plant and animal life, water and air on Earth. An environment need not be so large, however. The environment of your living room means the tables, chairs and decor that are in the room. Sometimes it refers to the general attitude of a place. Do you thrive in a competitive environment or prefer an atmosphere of cooperation?

Example Sentences

Protections for his neighbors or the environment clearly never crossed his mind.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

Fish kept in seawater did produce them, and production increased even further in the hypersaline environment.

From Science Daily • May 31, 2026

"Once they are past that really risky stage of their life and they are able to fly they are released into the environment," Beagan explained.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

Meadows says no one has deciphered why the vineyard produces such exquisite wines, but it is some combination of terroir, or environment, as well as 2,000 years of trial and error by the region’s winemakers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Swanson gradually adjusted to the environment, so unlike the volcanoes he was used to in Hawaii.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• climate
• habitat
• mise en scène
• setting
• situation
• status
• surroundings