stratosphere

American  

[strat-uh-sfeer] / ˈstræt əˌsfɪər /

noun

1. the region of the upper atmosphere extending upward from the tropopause to about 30 miles (50 km) above the earth, characterized by little vertical change in temperature.

2. (formerly) all of the earth's atmosphere lying outside the troposphere.

3. any great height or degree, as the highest point of a graded scale.

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stratosphere British  

/ ˌstrætəˈsfɛrɪk, ˈstrætəˌsfɪə /

noun

1. the atmospheric layer lying between the troposphere and the mesosphere, in which temperature generally increases with height

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stratosphere Scientific  

/ străt′ə-sfîr′ /

1. The region of the Earth's atmosphere extending from the tropopause to about 50 km (31 mi) above the Earth's surface. The stratosphere is characterized by the presence of ozone gas (in the ozone layer) and by temperatures which rise slightly with altitude, due to the absorption of ultraviolet radiation.

2. See also exosphere mesosphere thermosphere troposphere See illustration at atmosphere

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stratosphere Cultural  

1. The region of the atmosphere of the Earth above the troposphere. The stratosphere begins at an altitude of seven to ten miles and extends to approximately thirty miles.

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Other Word Forms

• stratospheric
  adjective
• stratospherical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of stratosphere

First recorded in 1905–10; strat(um) + -o- + sphere

Compare meaning

How does stratosphere compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• troposphere vs. stratosphere

Explanation

When an astronomer talks about the stratosphere, she means the second layer of Earth's atmosphere, about six miles above the surface of our planet. The atmosphere around Earth is divided into three sections — first, the troposphere, next the stratosphere, and finally the outer layer, the mesosphere. It sounds like outer space, but actually large commercial airplanes often fly at altitudes that reach the stratosphere. People also use the word stratosphere in a figurative way to mean "really high," as when a car salesman brags, "Our sales this month have skyrocketed into the stratosphere!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stratosphere

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the only franchise that spends in the same stratosphere as the Mets these days, but they have back-to-back titles to show for it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Totoro’s real launch into pop culture’s stratosphere came a year later, when NTV brought his namesake movie to a broader audience, exploding its fandom beyond Japan.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

To me, that’s what takes this term off into the stratosphere.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

The gospel-tinged “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” featuring Lady Gaga, finds her and Jagger trading vocals and pushing each other to the stratosphere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

It is a bit of a chemical oddity in that at ground level it is a pollutant, while way up in the stratosphere it is beneficial, since it soaks up dangerous ultraviolet radiation.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• atmosphere
• breeze
• wind