atmospherics
|at-mos-pher-ics|
🇺🇸
/ˌæt.məˈsfɪrɪks/
🇬🇧
/ˌæt.məˈsfɪə.rɪks/
qualities of the air or a place's mood
Etymology
'atmospherics' originates from late 19th-century English, formed from the adjective 'atmospheric' plus the plural/collective suffix '-s', ultimately deriving from Greek 'atmós' and 'sphaira', where 'atmós' meant 'vapor' and 'sphaira' meant 'sphere'.
'atmosphere' came from Greek 'atmós' + 'sphaira' into Latin/French forms and then into English as 'atmosphere'; the adjective 'atmospheric' developed from that, and 'atmospherics' later emerged as a noun referring to atmospheric phenomena or the qualities of atmosphere/ambience.
Initially it meant 'the sphere of air surrounding the earth' (a physical layer), but over time it broadened to include 'weather and electrical phenomena' and figuratively 'mood' or 'ambience'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
electrical or meteorological phenomena in the atmosphere; atmospheric disturbances or 'static' affecting radio/telegraph reception (often used in plural).
After the thunderstorm the radio reception was full of atmospherics and interference.
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Noun 2
the mood, ambience, or overall emotional tone of a place, event, or work (used especially in contexts like design, retail, film, or music).
The restaurant's dim lighting and soft music created pleasant atmospherics that kept customers lingering.
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Noun 3
the study or consideration of atmospheric conditions (used occasionally in academic or technical contexts to mean atmospheric science or phenomena).
Researchers published a paper on coastal atmospherics and their effect on local weather patterns.
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Last updated: 2025/11/12 13:10