environment

[en-vahy-ruhn-muhnt, -vahy-ern-]

noun

the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu.
Ecology. the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time.
the social and cultural forces that shape the life of a person or a population.

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.
an indoor or outdoor setting that is characterized by the presence of environmental art that is itself designed to be site-specific.

Origin of environment

First recorded in 1595–1605; environ + -ment

Related formsen·vi·ron·men·tal, adjectiveen·vi·ron·men·tal·ly, adverbin·ter·en·vi·ron·men·tal, adjectivenon·en·vi·ron·men·tal, adjectivenon·en·vi·ron·men·tal·ly, adverbpre·en·vi·ron·men·tal, adjectivepro·en·vi·ron·men·tal, adjective

Can be confusedbiosphere ecology ecosystem environment habitat

Synonyms for environment

1. locale, environs. 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for pro-environmental

environment

noun

external conditions or surroundings, esp those in which people live or work
ecology the external surroundings in which a plant or animal lives, which tend to influence its development and behaviour
the state of being environed; encirclement
computing an operating system, program, or integrated suite of programs that provides all the facilities necessary for a particular applicationa word-processing environment

Derived Formsenvironmental, adjectiveenvironmentally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for pro-environmental

environment

c.1600, "state of being environed" (see environ + -ment); sense of "nature, conditions in which a person or thing lives" first recorded 1827 (used by Carlyle to render German Umgebung); specialized ecology sense first recorded 1956.

pro-environmental in Medicine

environment

[ĕn-vī′rən-mənt, -vī′ərn-]

The totality of circumstances surrounding an organism or group of organisms, especially the combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of organisms.

Related formsen•vi′ron•men′tal (-mĕn′tl) adj.

pro-environmental in Science

environment

[ĕn-vī′rən-mənt]

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.