physical environment

American  

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

noun

plural

physical environments

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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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

The possibility to communicate reciprocally with the physical environment or more-than-human reality may have been an essential reason why these cliffs were visited and painted, and why offerings were left to them.

From Science Daily • Nov. 25, 2024

Plants are very important for improving the physical environment: cleaning the air, limiting rising temperatures and providing protection against climate change.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2024

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

Could the physical environment change what was happening inside the head?

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel