milieu

noun

mi·lieu mēl-ˈyü -ˈyər

-ˈyə,

-ˈyœ;

ˈmēl-ˌyü

plural milieus or milieux mēl-ˈyüz -ˈyə(r)(z)

-ˈyœ(z);

ˈmēl-ˌyü(z)

Synonyms of milieu

: the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment

Choose the Right Synonym for milieu

background, setting, environment, milieu, mise-en-scène mean the place, time, and circumstances in which something occurs.

background often refers to the circumstances or events that precede a phenomenon or development.

the shocking decision was part of the background of the riots

setting suggests looking at real-life situations in literary or dramatic terms.

a militant reformer who was born into an unlikely social setting

environment applies to all the external factors that have a formative influence on one's physical, mental, or moral development.

the kind of environment that produces juvenile delinquents

milieu applies especially to the physical and social surroundings of a person or group of persons.

an intellectual milieu conducive to artistic experimentation

mise-en-scène strongly suggests the use of properties to achieve a particular atmosphere or theatrical effect.

a gothic thriller with a carefully crafted mise-en-scène

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

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.

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