- present participle of surround.
surrounding
Americannoun
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something that surrounds.
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surroundings, environing things, circumstances, conditions, etc.; environment.
He was too sick to be aware of his surroundings.
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the act of encircling or enclosing.
adjective
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enclosing or encircling.
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being the environment or adjacent area.
Synonym Usage
See environment.
Etymology
Origin of surrounding
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: literally “inundation”; see origin at surround, -ing 1, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They see security needs surrounding the adoption of AI growing, adding to the opportunity for CrowdStrike to profit.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Shares gained as a forecast of accelerating growth helped calm rising anxiety throughout the market surrounding the viability of the artificial-intelligence trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
There have been calls for a public inquiry into media coverage surrounding the former Cambridge professor before his death.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Once the rocket climbs high enough that the surrounding atmosphere is no longer a threat, the fairing will no longer be needed.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
Luckily, Mr. Gorringe has guards surrounding Cleopatra’s Needle day and night.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
