milieu

[mil-yoo, meel-, mee-lyœ]

noun

plural

milieus ,

plural

milieux .

1. surroundings, especially of a social or cultural nature.

   a snobbish milieu.

   Synonyms: setting, sphere, background

milieu

/ miljø, ˈmiːljɜː /

noun

1. surroundings, location, or setting

Word History and Origins

Origin of milieu¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; from French, equivalent to mi (from Latin medius “middle”; medium ) + lieu lieu

Word History and Origins

Origin of milieu¹

C19: from French, from mi- _mid ¹ + lieu place

Synonym Study

See environment.

Example Sentences

Better is Mr. Burnett’s movie, which also has a specific sense of milieu, albeit in a very different setting: South Central Los Angeles.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A lively and fluent writer, Mr. Kurlansky, the author of books on the Basques, cod, salt and other subjects, brings the Boston milieu to life with sympathy, verve and dry humor.

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It was in this milieu that Grimes settled down to make her “California album.”

Read more on Salon

This was the milieu in which young Carol grew up.

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His lively melodies about love, hope and despair - embellished with catchy riffs - brought a breath of fresh air to an otherwise tense social milieu.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ambience 
• surroundings