surrounding

[suh-roun-ding]

noun

1. something that surrounds.

2. surroundings, environing things, circumstances, conditions, etc.; environment.

   He was too sick to be aware of his surroundings.

3. the act of encircling or enclosing.

adjective

1. enclosing or encircling.

2. being the environment or adjacent area.

Word History and Origins

Origin of surrounding¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: literally “inundation”; surround, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Synonym Study

See environment.

Example Sentences

Issues surrounding the strength of the U.S. economy, masked by the lack of data being published during the federal government shutdown, remain notable.

Read more on Barron's

Meanwhile, “the U.S.’s recent indication that it may reimpose tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese imports has once again underscored the lingering uncertainty surrounding trade policy,” the group said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She pours everything she learned from being raised in this city back into the store, and in turn, its surroundings.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

By comparing surrounding layers of ash, they determined that the remains date back roughly 404,000 years to a notably warm phase of the Middle Pleistocene Epoch.

Read more on Science Daily

He said he believes his apartment project will fit in with the surroundings.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• neighboring