Word
milieu
Phoneticsmi·lieu, stress on the second syllable
US/mɪɫˈjʊ/
UK/mˈiːljɜː/
Definitions
01social environment
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Academic · Formal
n. the social, cultural, or physical environment that surrounds a person or group.
n. the social environment or setting in which a person lives or in which something happens.
“Growing up in a musical milieu, she learned to play three instruments before she was ten.”
“The artist's early work was heavily influenced by the bohemian milieu of Paris in the 1920s.”
02a social group
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Academic · Formal
n. a specific group of people who share the same social class or way of thinking.
n. a specific social class or group of people who share a common point of view or cultural background.
“He felt out of place in the wealthy milieu of his new university.”
“The novel provides a sharp critique of the political milieu that dominated the capital during the late nineteenth century.”
Real-World Examples
“Now, in my 40s, I empathize with the sentimental attachment to the film’s pre-globalized milieu.” “All of which is to say that he now operates in a decidedly middle-class milieu.” Etymology
PIE word *me Borrowed from French milieu (“physical or social environment; group of people with a common point of view”), from Middle French milieu, meilleu, mileu, from Old French milliu, meillieu, mileu (“middle”), from mi- (prefix meaning ‘half’) (from Latin medius (“half; middle”)) + lieu, leu (“place”) (from Latin locus (“place; spot (specific location)”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. milieu control
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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