environmental

environmental — adjective

1. connected to the natural world — the air, water, land, forests, and all the livi

1.形容詞B1
釋義

connected to the natural world — the air, water, land, forests, and all the living things on Earth

例句

The government announced new environmental rules to reduce air pollution in the city.

attributive use: environmental + noun (rules)

Leila volunteers for an environmental charity that cleans up beaches every summer.

collocation: environmental charity

同義詞
  • ecological

    more technical; focuses on the relationships between living things and their habitat

  • green

    informal; emphasises active protection of nature

  • climate-related

    narrower; specifically about changes in the Earth's weather patterns

反義詞
  • man-made

    refers to things created by humans rather than occurring in nature

文法句型

environmental + noun

用法筆記

Usually appears before a noun. Common collocates include policy, protection, issues, damage, groups, and laws. This sense contrasts with sense 2, which refers to surrounding conditions rather than the natural world.

常見錯誤

❌We need to solve environmental pollution problems.' (pollution is inherently an environmental issue)
✅We need to solve pollution problems.
💡avoid redundancy.

2. related to the conditions and circumstances that surround a person or thing and

2.形容詞B2
釋義

related to the conditions and circumstances that surround a person or thing and influence their growth, behaviour, or development

例句

A child's learning is shaped by many environmental factors, including their home and school.

collocation: environmental factors

The study examined environmental conditions that help elderly people stay healthy.

collocation: environmental conditions

同義詞
  • contextual

    more formal; relates to the specific set of circumstances around an event or idea

  • external

    focuses on outside forces rather than internal or genetic ones

  • situational

    more specific to a particular situation or set of events

反義詞
  • genetic

    relating to inherited traits rather than surroundings

  • innate

    present from birth rather than shaped by environment

文法句型

environmental + noun

用法筆記

Common in academic and formal writing about psychology, sociology, education, and biology. Frequent collocates include factors, conditions, influences, causes, and stress. Unlike sense 1, this sense does NOT relate to nature or the outdoors.

常見錯誤

❌The noise from the factory is an environmental problem.' (ambiguous — could mean ecological pollution)
✅Noise is an environmental factor that affects residents' sleep quality.' (clear reference to surrounding conditions).