global warming

noun

: an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution
A Russian-owned tanker, built to traverse the frozen waters of the Arctic, completed a journey in record time from Europe to Asia this month, auguring the future of shipping as global warming melts sea ice.Russell Goldman
Debates about stem cells, global warming, and alternative energy might be less contentious if the scientific issues behind them were better understood.Elizabeth Gettelman
The development is also meant to boost tourism in Zermatt, which, like many Alpine towns worried about the effects of global warming on winter tourism, is exploring ways to draw visitors throughout the year.Jim Rendon
… I think it makes a compelling case, at least for most audiences, that humans are the cause of most of the global warming that is taking place, and that unless we take quick action the consequences for our planetary home could become irreversible.Al Gore

Examples of global warming in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The move by the company that makes vehicles for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep was seen as a boost to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious policies to curtail global warming. Sophie Austin, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Even if greenhouse gas emissions – a primary driver of global warming – drastically decrease worldwide today, the emissions already put into the atmosphere will continue to have an impact for decades to come. Li Cohen, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 The key component of this technology is as unlikely as the remote location: carbon dioxide, the chief cause of global warming. Amos Zeeberg, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Among those groups is Climate Defiance, which targets politicians and corporate titans promoting and profiting from the fossil-fuel industries driving global warming to dangerous levels. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 Skeptics point to other events as possible culprits, including the 2008 global financial crisis, global warming, the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting and the subsequent active-shooter drills, rising academic pressures, and the opioid epidemic. Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024 As of today, there’s a Bechdel test for global warming. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The precise timing of such losses depends on how soon humanity is able to reduce fossil fuel emissions that are contributing to global warming. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 In 2023, despite the Paris Agreement and multiple efforts to keep planetary temperatures below 1.5 Celsius, global warming exceeded 1.5 Celsius across an entire year for the first time. London Business School, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'global warming.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of global warming was in 1953

Dictionary Entries Near global warming

Cite this Entry

“Global warming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/global%20warming. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

global warming

noun
: a warming of the earth's atmosphere and oceans that is predicted to result from an increase in the greenhouse effect caused by air pollution

More from Merriam-Webster on global warming

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