noun
climate
KLY-mut/ˈklaɪmət/
The prevailing long-term weather of a region.
Decades of hot, dry weather characterize the region's desert climate.
Etymology
Greek klima connected a geographical zone with the earth’s slope and the angle of sunlight. The word shifted from a region defined this way to the characteristic weather associated with that region.
In context
As the climate warms, there are more days above freezing, which means more time that plants are active and producing pollen.
More examples
- This crop grows best in a mild climate.
- The political climate made compromise difficult.
- Researchers compared the long-term climates of the two regions.
Forms
climate · climates
climatic adjective — Relating to a region's climate.
Similar words
- weather
- Conditions at a particular time, while climate describes prevailing patterns.