environment
environment — noun
1. the natural world — including the air, water, land, plants, and animals — consid
the natural world — including the air, water, land, plants, and animals — considered as a system in which all living things exist.
Sayaka joined a beach clean-up group to help protect the local environment.
collocation: protect the environment
Scientists warned that rising temperatures threaten the environment worldwide.
collocation: threaten / damage the environment
Karim’s science project examined how pollution affects the natural environment.
Deforestation in the Amazon has destroyed large parts of the natural environment.
The new power station was carefully designed to have as little impact on the environment as possible.
- nature
Broader term covering everything not made by humans; less focused on systemic protection than 'environment'.
- ecosystem
More scientific; refers to a specific community of organisms interacting with their physical surroundings.
- habitat
More specific; refers to the natural home of a particular species or group of organisms.
文法句型
the environment
environment + noun (environment minister, environment policy)
用法筆記
When referring to the natural world as a whole, this sense almost always appears with the definite article: 'the environment'. It can also combine with domain-specific adjectives such as 'marine', 'urban', or 'built' to describe particular types of natural or human-altered ecosystems.
常見錯誤
2. the people, objects, and conditions around you at home, work, or school, and how
the people, objects, and conditions around you at home, work, or school, and how they affect your feelings or behaviour.
A noisy open-plan office can be a difficult environment for focused work.
collocation: work environment
Constanza finds it easier to study in a library environment than at home.
collocation: study / learning environment
Rachel’s teacher sets up reading corners, creating a calm environment where shy students feel safe.
Nikhil quit his job because the work environment had become too stressful.
The Watanabe family eats dinner together, giving Joon a supportive home environment to share his day.
- surroundings
More concrete and physical; focuses on what is immediately around you rather than social or emotional conditions.
- setting
Often implies the physical place where an activity happens; common in academic or literary contexts.
- atmosphere
Emphasises the mood or emotional quality of a place rather than its physical or structural conditions.
- conditions
Plural; broader and more neutral, covering both physical and social factors.
文法句型
adjective + environment
environment + for + noun/-ing
用法筆記
This sense is countable and regularly modified by adjectives describing quality ('supportive', 'hostile', 'competitive', 'stable') or domain ('work', 'home', 'social', 'learning', 'classroom'). Unlike Sense 1, it rarely takes 'the' alone without a modifier, unless the context already specifies the domain.