What does "atmosphere" mean?
The gases surrounding the Earth or any astronomical body.
Atmosphere
/ˈætməsˌfɪɹ/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The gases surrounding the Earth or any astronomical body.
- Grammar: atmosphere is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ambience, aura, action, aerial.
- Useful contrasts: nearly zero density, coldness, discord.
- Usage evidence: This place has a mysterious atmosphere.
How to use "atmosphere"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "atmosphere" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "atmosphere" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "atmosphere" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "atmosphere" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "atmosphere" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ambience" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "atmosphere", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The gases surrounding the Earth or any astronomical body. countable, uncountable
"To most people, the huge ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland are merely water that once was snow. To glaciologists and climatologists, they are storehouses of the Earth's former atmospheres."
- 2 a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing wordnet
- 3 The air in a particular place. countable, uncountable
"The last hue of crimson had died away in the west, and the depth of the rich purple atmosphere was unbroken."
- 4 the mass of air surrounding the Earth wordnet
- 5 The conditions (such as music, illumination etc.) that can influence the mood felt in an environment. countable, figuratively, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 the envelope of gases surrounding any celestial body wordnet
- 7 The apparent mood felt in an environment. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"The atmosphere for the football match was great."
- 8 a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade wordnet
- 9 A unit of measurement for pressure equal to 101325 Pa (symbol: atm), approximately the atmospheric pressure at sea level. countable, uncountable
"A process for preparing normally solid high molecular weight, hydrocarbon polymers which comprises heating and reacting carbon monoxide with hydrogen at a temperature of 125 ° to 350 °C, under a pressure of at least 30 atmospheres and in contact with a phosphomolybdic compound represented by the formula P₂Mo_(20–24)O_(2–60)."
- 10 the weather or climate at some place wordnet
- 11 Extras in a scene who have no spoken lines. uncountable
"Central Casting is in the business of extras, also known as atmosphere or background actors […]"
- 12 a particular environment or surrounding influence wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The distributed social media network of federated services using the AT Protocol. Internet
"In the ATmosphere, you don't have to make a tradeoff. You can use the service which has better moderation and still reach the accounts you want, even if they host their account somewhere else and agreed to some other TOS than you."
Example
"This place has a mysterious atmosphere."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "atmosphere"?
Common synonyms include: ambience, aura, action, aerial, aerodynamics, aerosphere.
How do you use "atmosphere" in a sentence?
This place has a mysterious atmosphere.
How do you pronounce "atmosphere"?
Pronounced /ˈætməsˌfɪɹ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from French atmosphère, from New Latin atmosphaera, from Ancient Greek ἀτμός (atmós, “steam”) + σφαῖρα (sphaîra, “sphere”); corresponding to atmo- + -sphere.
Etymology 2
Blend of AT Protocol + atmosphere.