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geography

n.
US //dʒiˈɑɡɹəfi// UK //dʒɪˈɒɡɹəfi// ge·og·ra·phy
  1. 1 academic subject (n.)
    A1 Beginner Science

    the study of the world's surface, climate, and how people live in different places.

    the scientific study of the Earth's physical features, atmosphere, and the distribution of human populations and resources.

    Example

    In geography class today, we learned about the major rivers in South America.

    Example

    The university's geography department focuses on the intersection of urban development and environmental sustainability in coastal regions.
  2. 2 physical terrain (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the physical features of a specific area of land.

    the physical characteristics and topographical features of a specific region or territory.

    Example

    The rough geography of the mountains made it difficult to build new roads.

    Example

    The local geography, dominated by steep limestone cliffs and deep valleys, provided a natural defense against invading forces for centuries.
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  1. 3 layout of a place (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    the way a building or room is organized.

    the physical arrangement or spatial distribution of elements within a specific structure or area.

    Example

    It took me a few days to learn the geography of the new office building.

    Example

    Once you understand the geography of the warehouse, finding specific inventory items becomes a much more efficient process.
  2. 4 business territory (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Business

    a specific area or region where a company does business.

    a geographical area defined as a specific field of business operations or a market sector.

    Example

    Our sales team is responsible for the northern geography of the country.

    Example

    The firm decided to expand into the Asian geography after seeing significant growth in consumer demand across the Pacific Rim.
Origin

Etymology tree Pre-Greek der. Proto-Hellenic *gayader. Ancient Greek γαῖᾰ (gaîă)clip. Ancient Greek γῆ (gê) Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-) Ancient Greek γεω- (geō-) Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) Ancient Greek -γρᾰ́φος (-grắphos) Ancient Greek γεωγρᾰ́φος (geōgrắphos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) ▲ Ancient Greek γεω- (geō-) ▲ Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā) Ancient Greek -η (-ē) Ancient Greek γραφή (graphḗ) Ancient Greek -γρᾰφῐ́ᾱ (-grăphĭ́ā) Ancient Greek γεωγρᾰφῐ́ᾱ (geōgrăphĭ́ā)bor. Latin geōgraphia Middle French géographie English geography From Middle French géographie, from Latin geōgraphia, from Ancient Greek γεωγραφία (geōgraphía, “a description of the earth”), from γῆ (gê, “earth”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write”). Use in reference to lavatories derives from the mid-20th century euphemism "show one the geography of the house" in reference to pointing out the toilets.

Word family

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