noun
environs
in-VY-runz/ɪnˈvaɪrənz/
The area surrounding a place.
The map covers the city and its environs in detail.
Etymology
The pieces evoke a circle around a place. From “round about” and “circuit,” the plural noun came to name the outskirts or nearby surrounding places.
In context
I reached the environs of Geneva it was evening when I arrived and I retired to a hiding place among the fields that surrounded it
More examples
- We spent the weekend exploring Boston and its environs.
- Several hiking trails wind through the castle's environs.
- New construction is changing the airport's immediate environs.
Forms
environs
Similar words
- surroundings
- Surroundings can include nearby objects and the general setting.
- outskirts
- Outskirts are specifically the outer edges of a town or city.
- vicinity
- Vicinity emphasizes nearness to a particular place or point.