plural milieus or milieux
mēl-ˈyüz 
-ˈyə(r)(z)
-ˈyə(r)(z)
-ˈyœ(z);
ˈmēl-ˌyü(z)
: the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment
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Milieu Entered English in the 1800s
Milieu comes from Old French mi (meaning "middle") and lieu ("place"). The word refers to an environment or setting. In English, lieu also is used to mean "place" and most often occurs in the phrase "in lieu of," as in "Cash is preferred but in lieu of cash a credit card is acceptable."
Examples of milieu in a Sentence
Theirs was a bohemian milieu in which people often played romantic musical chairs.
—
Edmund White, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
People in France admire the United States, and much of what passes for anti-Americanism is limited to the intellectual milieu of Paris.
—Jonathan Alter et al., Newsweek, 29 May 2000
She might stay home, might marry and live as a housewife. And if her milieu does not sanction such a solution, there are, she knows, milieux which do.
—David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry: Essays, 1999
Certainly there are very few American milieus today in which having read the latest work of Joyce Carol Oates or Richard Ford is more valuable, as social currency, than having caught the latest John Travolta movie or knowing how to navigate the Web.
—Jonathan Franzen, Harper's, April 1996
They're caught in their own hazy milieu—working, smoking, talking, drinking.
—Gerri Hirshey, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 1992
young, innovative artists thrive in the freewheeling milieu that a big city offers
Edmund White, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
People in France admire the United States, and much of what passes for anti-Americanism is limited to the intellectual milieu of Paris.
—Jonathan Alter et al., Newsweek, 29 May 2000
She might stay home, might marry and live as a housewife. And if her milieu does not sanction such a solution, there are, she knows, milieux which do.
—David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry: Essays, 1999
Certainly there are very few American milieus today in which having read the latest work of Joyce Carol Oates or Richard Ford is more valuable, as social currency, than having caught the latest John Travolta movie or knowing how to navigate the Web.
—Jonathan Franzen, Harper's, April 1996
They're caught in their own hazy milieu—working, smoking, talking, drinking.
—Gerri Hirshey, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 1992
young, innovative artists thrive in the freewheeling milieu that a big city offers
Recent Examples on the Web
In the swelling worshiping milieu, the transactional nature of politics is washed away in a hot potion of religious fervor.
—John Scott Lewinski, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
So, yeah, Colorado and its snowy, cozy milieu felt like a return to form, with a focus on technique and ingredients over games and gimmickry.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Since the late Nineties, melancholia has been the quartet’s milieu — chord changes that favor lumbering, slow-building anxiety and drama over any impulse to rock.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2025
In flirting with his offer, Gavin proposed a less British, more cosmopolitan milieu (his mother was Mexican).
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for milieu
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John Scott Lewinski, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
So, yeah, Colorado and its snowy, cozy milieu felt like a return to form, with a focus on technique and ingredients over games and gimmickry.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Since the late Nineties, melancholia has been the quartet’s milieu — chord changes that favor lumbering, slow-building anxiety and drama over any impulse to rock.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2025
In flirting with his offer, Gavin proposed a less British, more cosmopolitan milieu (his mother was Mexican).
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for milieu
Cite this Entry
“Milieu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milieu. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
milieu
noun
mi·lieu
mēl-ˈyə(r)
-ˈyü
-ˈyü
ˈmēl-ˌyü
Medical Definition
milieu
noun
mi·lieu
mēl-ˈyə(r)
-ˈyü; ˈmēl-ˌyü
-ˈyü; ˈmēl-ˌyü
mē-lyœ̅
plural milieus or milieux
-ˈyə(r)(z), -ˈyüz; -ˌyü(z), -lyœ̅(z)
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