climate change
noun
: significant and long-lasting change in the Earth's climate and weather patterns
The half-tonne … turtles were thought to have died out 30,000 to 40,000 years ago because of climate change.—
New Scientist
New Scientist
especially, in current use
: such change associated with global warming
Concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change are renewed among scientists and the public with every new report about the possibility of melting icecaps and rising temperatures. —Randy Showstack
Randy Showstack Drought is a paleontological fact in the American West, but the latest desiccations have a new signature, and my region's climatologists, hydrologists, foresters, and water managers are nearly unanimous in their conviction that what we are seeing now is climate change, the anthropogenic kind, a consequence of too much CO2 and other greenhouse gases. —Kenneth Brower
Kenneth Brower Examples of climate change in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Weather patterns like droughts fueled by climate change have disrupted major coffee growers including Brazil, reducing supplies of coffee beans.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
Scientists have noticed longer allergy seasons in the country as warmer temperatures caused by climate change lead to more pollen in the air for longer periods of time.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
That’s the decrease in America’s butterfly population since 2000 — a result of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, according to a new study.
—Daniel Wine, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Since 2013, the student-run campaign People & Planet has sought to highlight communities worldwide that are most affected by climate change and has pushed schools to end their support of the fossil fuel industry through research, partnerships, and investments.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2025
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Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
Scientists have noticed longer allergy seasons in the country as warmer temperatures caused by climate change lead to more pollen in the air for longer periods of time.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
That’s the decrease in America’s butterfly population since 2000 — a result of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, according to a new study.
—Daniel Wine, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Since 2013, the student-run campaign People & Planet has sought to highlight communities worldwide that are most affected by climate change and has pushed schools to end their support of the fossil fuel industry through research, partnerships, and investments.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climate change
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Cite this Entry
“Climate change.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climate%20change. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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