/ ˈklaɪmət; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C , U ] the regular pattern of weather conditions of a particular place :
a mild / temperate / warm / wet climate
the threat of global climate change
2.
[ C ] an area with particular weather conditions :
They wanted to move to a warmer climate.
3.
[ C ] a general attitude or feeling; an atmosphere or a situation which exists in a particular place :
the present political climate
the current climate of opinion (= what people generally are thinking about a particular issue)
a climate of suspicion / violence
We need to create a climate in which business can prosper.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French climat or late Latin clima , climat- , from Greek klima slope, zone, from klinein to slope. The term originally denoted a zone of the earth between two lines of latitude, then any region of the earth, and later, a region considered with reference to its atmospheric conditions. Compare with clime .