temperature

American  

[tem-per-uh-cher, -choor, -pruh-, -per-cher] / ˈtɛm pər ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər, -prə-, -pər tʃər /

noun

• temperatures
  plural

1. a measure of the warmth or coldness of an object or substance with reference to some standard value. The temperature of two systems is the same when the systems are in thermal equilibrium. T

2. Physiology, Pathology.

   1. the degree of heat in a living body, normally about 98.6°F (37°C) in humans.

   2. the excess of this above the normal.

3. Obsolete. mildness, as of the weather.

4. Obsolete. temperament.

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temperature British  

/ ˈtɛmprɪtʃə /

noun

1. the degree of hotness of a body, substance, or medium; a physical property related to the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules of a substance

2. a measure of this degree of hotness, indicated on a scale that has one or more fixed reference points

3. informal a body temperature in excess of the normal

4. archaic

   1. compromise

   2. temperament

   3. temperance

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temperature Scientific  

/ tĕm′pər-ə-chr′ /

1. A measure of the ability of a substance, or more generally of any physical system, to transfer heat energy to another physical system. The temperature of a substance is closely related to the average kinetic energy of its molecules.

2. See also Boyle's law

3. Any of various standardized numerical measures of this ability, such as the Kelvin, Fahrenheit, and Celsius scales.

4. An abnormally high body temperature; a fever.

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temperature Idioms  

1. see run a fever (temperature).

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Usage

Heat and temperature are closely related but distinct and sometimes subtle ideas. Heat is simply transferred thermal energy—most commonly, the kinetic energy of molecules making up substance, vibrating and bouncing against each other. A substance's temperature, on the other hand, is a measure of its ability to transfer heat, rather than the amount of heat transferred. For example, a match lit under a pot of boiling water reaches a much higher temperature than the water, but it is able to give off much less heat, since only a small amount of thermal energy is created and released by it. When any two substances of different temperatures are in thermal contact, the laws of thermodynamics state that heat flows from the higher-temperature substance into the lower-temperature substance, raising the temperature of the heated body and lowering the temperature of the body releasing heat until thermal equilibrium is reached, and the temperatures are the same. Thus temperature describes a characteristic of matter that determines the direction and extent of heat transfer, so the match with little heat but high temperature still adds energy to the water when placed under the pot. Providing a closed physical system with heat generally raises its temperature but not necessarily; for example, ice at zero degrees Celsius requires considerable additional heat in order to melt into water at zero degrees Celsius. Temperature can be related to the average kinetic energy of the molecules of gases, though this relation breaks down in most real cases involving liquids, solids, substances with larger molecules, and radiation with no mass, such as light. The two most common temperature scales, Celsius (C) and Fahrenheit (F), are based on the freezing and boiling points of water. On the Celsius scale there are 100 increments between the two points, and on the Fahrenheit scale there are 180. Scientists also use the International System units called Kelvins (K). A difference in temperature of one degree is equivalent in the Celsius and Kelvin scales, but their absolute scales are different: while zero degrees C is the temperature at which water freezes (at a pressure of one atmosphere), zero degrees K (−273.72 degrees C), also called absolute zero, is the least possible temperature for a system, representing a theoretical state from which no heat can be extracted.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• temperatures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of temperature

First recorded in 1525–35, temperature is from the Latin word temperātūra a tempering. See temperate, -ure

Explanation

Temperature refers to how hot or cold something is. When you think you might have a fever, you take your temperature to see if it is higher than normal. Temperature can also mean hotness and coldness in terms of excitement. Before offering a discount on its new one-legged jeans, the clothing manufacturer surveyed 200 loyal customers over the phone, to gauge the likely temperature of the response to their marketing ploy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

temperature temperatures

When the temperature drops further to -113 degrees Celsius, a second "subdominant" charge density wave appears at a right angle to the first.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

Marine heat can also influence the temperature on land.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

When soil is very dry, air temperature can rise more rapidly that it does when soil is wetter.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Stoking the hearth fire, ensuring that the tea was just the right temperature for possible visitors.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

In some materials, this coordinated state appears only at extremely low temperatures.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

That shift is driven by rising sea temperatures and food availability.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

It may also draw up some warmth from continental Europe, boosting temperatures and the possibility of a hotter spell.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

"In the end, we optimized the conditions to a practical level and, under ambient temperatures, achieved PEG-modified cleaving efficiency above 91% at 50°C within just one to two hours," stated Inagaki, the study's first author.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

Stockholm was beautiful, despite the constant snow and frigid temperatures.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• climate
• cold
• condition
• heat
• warmth