geography

American  

[jee-og-ruh-fee] / dʒiˈɒg rə fi /

noun

plural

geographies

1. the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth's surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and interrelations over the world of such elements as climate, elevation, soil, vegetation, population, land use, industries, or states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements.

2. the study of this science.

3. the topographical features of a region, usually of the earth, sometimes of the planets.

4. a book dealing with this science or study, as a textbook.

5. the arrangement of features of any complex entity.

   the geography of the mind.

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geography British  

/ dʒɪˈɒɡrəfɪ, ˌdʒɪəˈɡræfɪkəl /

noun

1. the study of the natural features of the earth's surface, including topography, climate, soil, vegetation, etc, and man's response to them

2. the natural features of a region

3. an arrangement of constituent parts; plan; layout

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geography Scientific  

/ jē-ŏg′rə-fē /

1. The scientific study of the Earth's surface and its various climates, countries, peoples, and natural resources.

2. The physical characteristics, especially the surface features, of an area.

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Other Word Forms

• geographer noun
• geographical adjective
• geographically adverb

Etymology

Origin of geography

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin geōgraphia, from Greek geōgraphía “earth description”; equivalent to geo- + -graphy

Example Sentences

But physically getting to a specialist or a well-equipped clinic can be difficult for many patients, thanks to its size, its formidable geography of ice, fjords and mountains and the remoteness of small settlements.

From The Wall Street Journal

Team USA wasn’t a ragtag group, but the nation’s very best, the product of generations of elite domestic development and the game’s widening geography.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sections of the Potomac offer a nearly pristine slice of nature tucked beside the urban geography of Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal

The difference lies in species and geography, Midway said.

From Los Angeles Times

Ersoy said Turkish series have become a "global brand that touches the lives of nearly one billion people across approximately 170 countries, spanning a vast geography from Asia to America, and from Africa to Europe."

From Barron's

Related Words

• earth science
• geology
• geopolitics
• topography