climate change

American  

[klahy-mit cheynj] / ˈklaɪ mɪt ˌtʃeɪndʒ /

noun

1. a long-term change in the earth's climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.

   Melting glaciers imply that life in the Arctic is affected by climate change.

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Usage

What is climate change? Climate change refers to a sweeping change in global climate conditions, including weather phenomena, temperature, and sea levels. It’s caused by an influx of greenhouse gases, mostly from fossil fuel emissions around the world. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere and change weather patterns, warming many areas of the globe and causing erratic season and weather events. How is term pronounced?[ klahy-mit cheynj ]

Etymology

Origin of climate change

First recorded in 1980–85

Compare meaning

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

• global warming vs. climate change

Example Sentences

The frequency of heatwaves is increasing globally due to the effects of human-enduced climate change.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

"Without this, we mislead decision makers and potentially lose public trust in our ability to tackle climate change."

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2026

Not much good comes to mind when you think about the effects of climate change.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

Scientists say keeping global warming as close as possible to 1.5C relative to pre-industrial levels is essential to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

Secondly, when climate change causes mass extinctions, sea creatures are usually hit as hard as land dwellers.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari