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cli·mate

climate

 
 
pronunciation:
klaI miht
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition 1: the weather conditions most prevailing in a place, averaged over several years.
Antarctica has a cold climate.
similar words:
weather
definition 2: a region defined by generally similar weather conditions.
We will vacation in a tropical climate this winter.
synonyms:
clime
similar words:
area, place, region, zone
definition 3: the emotional, political, or social conditions prevailing in a place, time, or situation.
a climate of fear and despair
synonyms:
atmosphere, environment, milieu
similar words:
air, ambiance, aura, conditions, feel, surroundings, tone, undertone
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivations: climatic (adj.), climatically (adv.)
Word History
Climate is from an ancient Greek word that means "slope of the earth" or "region of the earth." The Greeks believed that the earth sloped from the equator to the north and south poles. They divided the earth into zones, and each zone was called a klima. By the 1600s, "climate" was being used in English for weather conditions.
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