geography
Americannoun
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the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth's surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and interrelations over the world of such elements as climate, elevation, soil, vegetation, population, land use, industries, or states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements.
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the study of this science.
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the topographical features of a region, usually of the earth, sometimes of the planets.
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a book dealing with this science or study, as a textbook.
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the arrangement of features of any complex entity.
the geography of the mind.
noun
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the study of the natural features of the earth's surface, including topography, climate, soil, vegetation, etc, and man's response to them
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the natural features of a region
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an arrangement of constituent parts; plan; layout
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The scientific study of the Earth's surface and its various climates, countries, peoples, and natural resources.
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The physical characteristics, especially the surface features, of an area.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of geography
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin geōgraphia, from Greek geōgraphía “earth description”; equivalent to geo- + -graphy
Explanation
Geography is the study of the land and how we use it. A geography lesson about your hometown would teach about the terrain, including any landforms like mountains or waterways, its vegetation, roads and other human-made developments, and its people. Geography means "description of the earth's surface." It is often confused with a related word, geology, which means "study of the earth." Geography is about anything that happens on the ground, or above it, including how people live and use the land, while geology studies the earth's content, like the plates that form it and how they move.
Vocabulary lists containing geography
Elements of the Universe: Geo ("Earth")
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geo
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Geography and Culture (Grade 8)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For most of the 20th century, partner search happened in a narrow window of time and often geography among people in their early 20s.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
“Replicating the geography of Texas is not something you can recommend,” says Robert Dietz, the National Association of Home Builders’ chief economist.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
Each race is unique to the geography of the district:
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
Beyond all that, this curtain call means leaving behind one of TV’s best intergenerational relationships and its most poignant, accurate exploration of the craggy emotional geography of friendships between women.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
I think he didn’t care that I wasn’t turning in my answers to the Review Questions at the end of the chapters because that meant I wasn’t messing up his new geography book.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
