climate

noun

cli·​mate ˈklī-mət How to pronounce climate (audio)
Synonyms of climatenext
1
: a region of the earth having specified climatic conditions
His physician advised moving to a warmer climate.
2
a
: the average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation
a healthful climate
a warm, humid climate
b
: the prevailing set of conditions (as of temperature and humidity) indoors
a climate-controlled office
3
: the prevailing influence or environmental conditions characterizing a group or period : atmosphere
a climate of fear
a climate of suspicion
the cultural climate of the 1960s

Did you know?

If you stand at the equator, the celestial poles (the points in the sky directly above the North and South poles) lie on the horizon. As you move northward, the northern celestial pole gradually rises above the horizon, so the sky is in effect tilted. The ancient Greeks called this tilt klima, literally “slope,” “inclination.” Because the angle is determined by your latitude, klima came to mean “latitude,” and the earth was divided into seven latitudinal regions, called klimata. The word came into modern European languages as clime or climate, and the weather of a region was also called climate.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of climate in a Sentence

living in a cold climate These trees only grow in humid climates. The country's climate is ideal for growing grapes. the humid climate of Malaysia A climate of fear prevails in the city. the country's changing economic climate The company is trying to develop a positive climate for innovation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This conservative-leaning economic report ranks states on business climate and economic performance. —Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024 Drivers reportedly complained about touchscreen systems adding in at times annoying levels of friction to simple functions like climate control and music. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024 California voters, for instance, just overwhelmingly approved a $10 billion bond to fund water, climate, and wildfire prevention projects. —Matt Simon / Grist, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024 Options include a Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, wireless device charging, tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a power rear-window sunshade and manual rear side-window sunshades. —James Raia, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for climate 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English climat, from Middle French, from Late Latin climat-, clima, from Greek klimat-, klima inclination, latitude, climate, from klinein to lean — more at lean

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of climate was in 1578

Phrases Containing climate

Dictionary Entries Near climate

climagraph

climate

climate change

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Climate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climate. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

climate

noun
cli·​mate ˈklī-mət How to pronounce climate (audio)
1
a
: a region with specified weather conditions
b
: the average weather conditions of a particular place or region over a period of years
2
: the usual or most widespread mood or conditions
a climate of fear
climatic
klī-ˈmat-ik
klə-
adjective
Etymology

Middle English climat "climate," from Latin climat-, clima (same meaning), from Greek klimat-, klima "slope, latitude, climate," from klinein "to lean, recline" — related to climax, clinic

Word Origin
If you stand at the equator and look up at the sky, the celestial pole (the point in the sky directly above earth's North and South Poles) lies on the horizon. As you move northward, the celestial pole gradually rises above the horizon, so that the sky is in effect tilted. This tilt or inclination was called by the ancient Greeks klima (literally, "slope," "inclination"). Because the angle of inclination is determined by your latitude on earth, klima came to mean "latitude," and the earth was divided into seven latitudinal regions, called klimata (the plural of klima). This word was borrowed into modern European languages as clime or climate, and the weather characteristic of a particular region was also called climate.

More from Merriam-Webster on climate

Nglish: Translation of climate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of climate for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about climate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...