English dictionary

environ Meaning & Definition

Q: What is the plural of environ?

The plural of environ is environs.

Q: What is the past tense of environ?

The past tense of environ is environed. The present participle is environing.

/ɪnˈvaɪɹən/

What Does Environ Mean?

Environ is used as an adverb meaning In the neighbourhood; around. It can also mean Almost, nearly. As a verb, it means To encircle or surround (someone or something). As a noun, it means A surrounding area or place (especially of an urban settlement); an environment.

Quick Facts About Environ

Part of speech	adverb, verb, noun
Pronunciation	//ɪnˈvaɪɹən//
Syllables	1
Synonyms	ring, round and circle
Plural	environs
Verb forms	environs, environing, environed

Environ Definition (Adverb)

In the neighbourhood; around.
Almost, nearly.

Environ as a Verb

To encircle or surround (someone or something).
To encircle or surround (someone or something) so as to attack from all sides; to beset.
To encircle or surround (a heraldic element such as a charge or escutcheon (shield)).
To cover, enclose, or envelop (someone or something).
Followed by from: to hide or shield (someone or something).
Of a person: to be positioned or stationed around (someone or something) to attend to or protect them.
Of a situation or state of affairs, especially danger or trouble: to happen to and affect (someone or something).
To amount to or encompass (a space). To travel completely around (a place or thing); to circumnavigate.
To amount to or encompass (a space).
To travel completely around (a place or thing); to circumnavigate.

Environ as a Noun

A surrounding area or place (especially of an urban settlement); an environment.
Naples and its environs

Synonyms of Environ

ring round circle surround encircle

Environ synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Environ

No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.

Environ in a Sentence

Naples and its environs

Word Forms & Grammar

environ (not comparable)

environ (third-person singular simple present environs, present participle environing, simple past and past participle environed)

environ (plural environs)

Origin of Environ

Origin 1: From Middle English enviroun (“round about in a circle or ring; all around”) [and other forms],[1] from Anglo-Norman enviroun, environ [and other forms], and Middle French enviroun, environ [and other forms], from Old French environ (“around, surrounding; about, approximately, roughly”) (modern French environ), from en- (prefix meaning ‘in; into’) + viron (“circuit; circumference, compass; country round about”) (though first attested later)[2] (from virer (“to bear, turn, veer”) (either from Latin gȳrō (“to turn in a circle, rotate; to circle, revolve around”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, curve; an arch, vault”)), or from Latin vibrō (“to hurl, launch; shake; to tremble, vibrate”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyb-, *weyp- (“to shake; to tremble; to sway, swing; to rotate, turn, wind, wrap (around)”))) + -on (augmentative suffix)).

Origin 2: From Middle English envirounen, enviroun (“to surround in a circle or ring, or on the perimeter; to beset, besiege; to cover, enclose, envelop; to provide a setting or surrounding to; to move in a circle; to move around the perimeter; to go, move, or wander about (a place); to fill or pervade (a place); to run all the way through”) [and other forms],[3] from Anglo-Norman envirouner [and other forms], Middle French environner, and Old French environner (“to arrange in a circle; to circumnavigate, travel around; to traverse, wander around; to encircle, encompass, surround”) [and other forms] (modern French environner), from environ (adverb) (see etymology 1)[4] + -er (suffix forming verbs).

Origin 3: From Late Middle English invyroun, Middle English enuyroun, enuyrown, from Anglo-Norman enviroun, environ, envirun, and Middle French environ (“circumference; surroundings; (in the plural) boundaries, frontiers”) (chiefly in the plural) (modern French environ), a noun use of Old French environ (adverb): see etymology 1.[5]

Pronouncing Environ

The standard pronunciation of environ is //ɪnˈvaɪɹən//, spoken in 1 syllable.

Quick Answers About Environ

Is environ an adverb or a verb?

Environ is mainly used as an adverb, but it can also be used as a verb and a noun.

What is another word for environ?

You can replace environ with words such as ring, round and circle. See the full list of environ synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of environ?

The plural of environ is environs.

What is the past tense of environ?

The past tense of environ is environed. The present participle is environing.