environmental

[ en-vahy-ruhn-muhn-tl, -vahy-ern- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the totality of things, conditions, influences, cultural forces, etc., that surround and shape the life of a person or a population:

   Investigators in the study will examine possible associations between aggressive prostate cancer and exposures to environmental stressors such as discrimination, early-life adversity, and segregation.

2. Ecology. of or relating to all the external conditions, such as air, water, minerals, and other organisms, that surround and affect any given organism, often specifically relating to human interaction with these conditions:

   She took 11 lake samples to identify the fish communities present there and the defining environmental factors, like dissolved oxygen, pH, and vegetation.

   Agriculture is now a dominant force behind many environmental threats, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of land and fresh water.

3. of or being art that surrounds the viewer or involves the viewer’s participation, often on a grand scale and outdoors:

   Our programs include an exhibition of global art, public lectures on birds, and a collaborative outdoor installation of environmental art.

Other Words From

• en·vi·ron·men·tal·ly adverb
• in·ter·en·vi·ron·men·tal adjective
• non·en·vi·ron·men·tal adjective
• non·en·vi·ron·men·tal·ly adverb
• pre·en·vi·ron·men·tal adjective
• pro·en·vi·ron·men·tal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of environmental¹

environment ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Sustainable sugar production should factor into these global talks given the many environmental problems and opportunities from changing the way we grow and consume sugar.

From Salon

Ofwat has new powers to prevent bonuses being funded from customer bills if the company is judged to have missed environmental or performance targets.

From BBC

"From a colonial perspective, you want to project yourself," said Mazin Qumsiyeh, an environmental scientist who teaches at Bethlehem University and founded the Palestine Museum of Natural History.

From Salon

Microfluidic technology has become increasingly important in many scientific fields such as regenerative medicine, microelectronics, and environmental science.

From Science Daily

Continuing in this vein, the researchers are currently working to directly analyze current food trade patterns and the subsequent environmental pressures traded with it, with no diet shifts.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• natural
• real
• substantial

More About Environmental

What does environmental mean?

Environmental means of or relating to all the things that surround us and influence our lives, as in For some people, environmental stressors included how crowded a room is and how loud the noise is.

In ecology, environmental also means of or relating to all external conditions that surround an organism, such as air, water, and minerals. When someone talks about climate change and its environmental impact, they mean that as the average temperature of the Earth changes, it affects the environment, such as through soil erosion, flooding, and more.

Less often, environmental describes something that surrounds the viewer or encourages their participation, as with some outdoor art.

Example: The environmental damage this project will cause might be unreasonable.

Where does environmental come from?

The first records of the term environmental come from around 1870. It combines the term environment, meaning “surroundings,” and the suffix –al, meaning “of the kind of, pertaining to, or having the form or character of.”

Thanks to climate change, many professions now have environmental specialities, such as environmental lawyers and environmental engineers. These professions are concerned with the changing environment and its impact on the Earth and human life.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to environmental?

• environmentally (adverb)
• interenvironmental (adjective)
• nonenvironmental (adjective)
• nonenvironmentally (adverb)

What are some synonyms for environmental?

• coincidental
• inconclusive
• indirect
• natural
• substantial

What are some words that share a root or word element with  environmental?

• environ
• environment

What are some words that often get used in discussing environmental?

• destruction
• ecology
• ecosystem
• protection

How is environmental used in real life?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency has broken months of silence about his frequent premium-class flights at taxpayer expense, saying he needs to fly first class because of unpleasant interactions with other travelers.

— David Eggert (@DavidEggert00) February 14, 2018

Environmental is commonly used in the ecological sense.

We are learning all too slowly the lessons of environmental deterioration. #LaudatoSi

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015

OH! We raised grand total $123,086 for the Environmental Defense Fund in last month's charity livestream! AWESOME JOB EVERYONE!! :D

— Mark (@markiplier) May 16, 2017

Try using environmental!

Is environmental used correctly in the following sentence?

The environmental lawyer helped the business manage the cleanup of the pollution it had caused.