Trivia Time

Who warned of the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment in the 1962 book Silent Spring?

Test Your Knowledge

environment

American  

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

noun

• environments
  plural

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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

Derived Forms

• environmental
  adjective
• environmentally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• environments
  plural

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

See Examples For:

environment environments

The company is also bringing a generative AI-based assistant into its BQuant data science analytics platform to help create investment models, dashboards and more within a Python coding environment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

"Playing in Toronto presents a different environment and challenge, and we're excited by the opportunity to express our game, improve our performance and continue to grow as the Red Roses."

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

“I don’t think you should jack up rates into this environment right now,” said John Luke Tyner, head of fixed-income and a portfolio manager at Aptus Capital Advisors, on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Together, these processes contribute to the environment that allows life to thrive.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

"Showers save water. I'm doing it for the environment."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Its anatomy also suggests that the snake may have spent much of its time on land or in shallow, swampy environments, rather than living exclusively in water.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Dr Robert Hancock says they need to switch from breeding crops for specific environments, such as hot or dry climates, towards ones which are more generally resilient.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Whether spreading pigment across the desert floor, choreographing participants into a living drawing or appearing in her own films, Albuquerque brings a human presence into environments whose scale can dwarf it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Many young people don’t want to toil in factories, which don’t provide the kind of prestige or work environments college graduates seek—and are rapidly replacing workers with robots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

I can visit the World Travel Arena downtown, where Deckers and guests can experience the cultures and environments of different countries and cities.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

Related Words

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