environment

environment
en|vi|ron|ment
W1S1 [ınˈvaırənmənt] n
[Date: 1600-1700; Origin: environ 'to surround' (14-21 centuries), from Old French environer, from environ 'around', from viron 'circle']
1.) the environment
the air, water, and land on Earth, which can be harmed by man's activities
▪ Some of these chemicals are very damaging to the environment.
▪ legislation to protect the environment
▪ the effects of acid rain on the environment
▪ the government minister for the environment
2.) [U and C]
the people and things that are around you in your life, for example the buildings you use, the people you live or work with, and the general situation you are in
▪ Our first task was to improve the physical environment (=buildings, furniture etc) in the school.
▪ Young children often feel happier in the home environment .
▪ The company had failed to provide a safe environment for its workers.
working/learning environment
▪ a pleasant working environment
political/economic environment
▪ a stable economic environment
3.)
the natural features of a place, for example its weather, the type of land it has, and the type of plants that grow in it
→↑habitat
▪ a forest environment
▪ a very adaptable creature that will eat different foods in different environments
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WORD FOCUS: environment
good for the environment: environmentally friendly, eco-friendly, sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable, renewable, organic
people who want to protect the environment: greens, eco-warriors
things that cause harm to the environment: pollution, greenhouse gases, global warming, acid rain, deforestation
See also: ozone layer, fossil fuel, CFC
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Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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  • environment — en‧vi‧ron‧ment [ɪnˈvaɪərənmənt ǁ ˈvaɪr ] noun [countable] 1. the environment the air, water, and land in which people, animals, and plants live: • Since these chemicals were banned, pesticide levels in the environment have been declining. 2. the… …   Financial and business terms

  • Environment — may refer to: * Natural environment, all living and non living things that occur naturally on Earth * Built environment, constructed surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging from the large scale civic surroundings to the… …   Wikipedia

  • Environment — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda El environment surge en Estados Unidos, a principio de los años cincuenta y en torno al compositor John Cage y la tradición dadaísta no hay que olvidar el papel de Duchamp en Nueva York , Se empieza a hacer visible… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Environment — En*vi ron*ment, n. [Cf. F. environnement.] 1. Act of environing; state of being environed. [1913 Webster] 2. That which environs or surrounds; surrounding conditions, influences, or forces, by which living forms are influenced and modified in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • environment — I noun atmosphere, aura, circumstances, context, environs, locality, milieu, situation, surroundings II index atmosphere, climate, locality, location, situation …   Law dictionary

  • environment — [n] surroundings, atmosphere ambiance, aura, backdrop, background, circumstances, climate, conditions, context, domain, element, encompassment, entourage, habitat, hood*, jungle*, locale, medium, milieu, neck of the woods*, neighborhood, purlieus …   New thesaurus

  • environment — ► NOUN 1) the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. 2) (the environment) the natural world, especially as affected by human activity. 3) Computing the overall structure within which a user, computer, or …   English terms dictionary

  • environment — environment. См. среда [обитания]. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Environment — acoustic ecology anthropocene apocalypse fatigue assisted migration bads biostitute biotecture blue …   New words

  • environment — c.1600, state of being environed (see ENVIRON (Cf. environ) + MENT (Cf. ment)); sense of nature, conditions in which a person or thing lives first recorded 1827 (used by Carlyle to render Ger. Umgebung); specialized ecology sense first recorded… …   Etymology dictionary

  • environment — background, setting, milieu, backdrop, mise en scène …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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