English Reference

Word

environment

Phoneticsen·vi·ron·ment, stress on the second syllable

US/ɪnˈvaɪɹənmənt/

UK/ɛnvˈaɪɹənmənt/

Definitions

01the natural world

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live.

n. the natural world, especially as affected by human activity; the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors that act upon an organism.

“We need to do more to protect the environment from pollution.”

“The government's new policy aims to balance industrial growth with the urgent need to preserve the local environment and its biodiversity.”

02surroundings or conditions

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the conditions that you live or work in and the way that they influence how you feel or work.

n. the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community.

“The company tries to create a friendly working environment for all its employees.”

“Growing up in a multilingual environment often provides children with a natural advantage in cognitive flexibility and language acquisition.”

03computing

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing Technical

n. the set of software and hardware on a computer that allows a program to run.

n. the specific configuration of hardware, software, and network protocols in which a particular system or application operates.

“You need to install the latest updates to your desktop environment.”

“The developers spent the morning migrating the application from the testing environment to the live production server to ensure a smooth launch.”

04programming variables

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. the set of names and values that a computer program can see while it is running.

n. the set of identifiers and their associated bindings available to a function or process during execution.

“The script failed because the necessary environment variables were not defined.”

“In functional programming, the environment determines how free variables are evaluated within the scope of a specific closure.”

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “environment” in context.

01. competitive environment 02. complex environment 03. create environment 04. dynamic environment 05. economic environment 06. environment facilitate 07. external environment 08. improve environment 09. natural environment 10. particular environment 11. perceive environment 12. social environment

Etymology

From Middle French environnement. Compare French environnement. By surface analysis, environ + -ment.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

environment(A2)

Domains

ComputingProgramming

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Very common
Level
A2 · ElementaryOxford
Updated

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English Reference