milieu
Other forms: milieus; milieux
A milieu is a surrounding culture. Your family, house, neighborhood, school, and people you hang out with make up your milieu. For example, if you live in a mansion and have rich friends, you’re part of the upper crust milieu.
A milieu is both "surroundings" and everything that makes up the surroundings. Your milieu is your world, or the context you come from. Sometimes a milieu shapes a person, as when a "milieu of abuse and poverty," inspires someone to improve things for others. Milieu sounds a lot like mildew without the "d," but unless you grew up in a moldy bathtub, mildew probably has little to do with your milieu, or environment.
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the environmental conditionsynonyms: surroundingstype of:environmentthe totality of surrounding conditions
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Vocabulary lists containing milieu
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel traces generations of a seemingly cursed Dominican family.
With his characteristic wit, Bill Bryson recounts his five-month hike along the Appalachian Trail.