[en.vi.ron.ment] n (1827) 1: the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded
2. a: the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival b: the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community
3: the position or characteristic position of a linguistic element in a sequence syn see background -- en.vi.ron.men.tal adj -- en.vi.ron.men.tal.ly adv