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milieu

noun
mi·​lieu | \ mēl-ˈyü How to pronounce milieu (audio) , -ˈyər How to pronounce milieu (audio) , -ˈyə, -ˈyœ; ˈmēl-ˌyü\
plural milieus or milieux\ mēl-​ˈyüz How to pronounce milieux (audio) , -​ˈyə(r)(z) How to pronounce milieux (audio) , -​ˈyœ(z) ; ˈmēl-​ˌyü(z) \

Definition of milieu

: the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Milieu Entered English in the 1800s Example Sentences Learn More about milieu

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Choose the Right Synonym for milieu

background, setting, environment, milieu, mise-en-scène mean the place, time, and circumstances in which something occurs. background often refers to the circumstances or events that precede a phenomenon or development. the shocking decision was part of the background of the riots setting suggests looking at real-life situations in literary or dramatic terms. a militant reformer who was born into an unlikely social setting environment applies to all the external factors that have a formative influence on one's physical, mental, or moral development. the kind of environment that produces juvenile delinquents milieu applies especially to the physical and social surroundings of a person or group of persons. an intellectual milieu conducive to artistic experimentation mise-en-scène strongly suggests the use of properties to achieve a particular atmosphere or theatrical effect. a gothic thriller with a carefully crafted mise-en-scène

Milieu Entered English in the 1800s

The etymology of milieu comes down to "mi" and "lieu." English speakers learned the word (and borrowed both its spelling and meaning) from French. The modern French term comes from two much older French forms, mi, meaning "middle," and lieu, meaning "place." Like so many terms in the Romance languages, those Old French forms can ultimately be traced to Latin; "mi" is an offspring of the Latin medius(meaning "middle") and "lieu" is a derivative of "locus" (meaning "place"). English speakers have used "milieu" for the environment or setting of something since at least the mid-1800s, but other "lieu" descendants are much older. We've used both "lieu" itself (meaning "place" or "stead," as in "in lieu of") and "lieutenant" since the 14th century.

Examples of milieu in a Sentence

Theirs was a bohemian milieu in which people often played romantic musical chairs. — Edmund White, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009 People in France admire the United States, and much of what passes for anti-Americanism is limited to the intellectual milieu of Paris. — Jonathan Alter et al., Newsweek, 29 May 2000 She might stay home, might marry and live as a housewife. And if her milieu does not sanction such a solution, there are, she knows, milieux which do. — David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry: Essays, 1999 Certainly there are very few American milieus today in which having read the latest work of Joyce Carol Oates or Richard Ford is more valuable, as social currency, than having caught the latest John Travolta movie or knowing how to navigate the Web. — Jonathan Franzen, Harper's, April 1996 They're caught in their own hazy milieu—working, smoking, talking, drinking. — Gerri Hirshey, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 1992 young, innovative artists thrive in the freewheeling milieu that a big city offers
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Rather, Strauss responded to a German-speaking milieu in which gay desire was expressed more freely than in most other societies. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "The Endless, Grisly Fascination of Richard Strauss’s “Salome”," 21 Aug. 2019 This wisdom comes in especially handy on ball days, when everything from the lip gloss to the lingo has to feel celebratory, period-accurate and — perhaps most important — authentic to the milieu. — Meredith Blakestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "How ‘Pose’ perfectly re-creates the queer ball culture of 1990 New York," 2 Aug. 2019 And commentators like Fran Lebowitz and Fiddler scholar Alisa Solomon provide valuable historical perspective on a milieu often viewed through the distorting lens of nostalgia. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles': Film Review," 7 Aug. 2019 Saddled with too many expat American characters, the show longs to focus on the far more interesting British characters and their social milieu. — Hank Stuever, Washington Post, "Send your regrets to Hulu’s ‘Four Weddings and Funeral’ (and a sympathy card)," 29 July 2019 Though Phish played Fenway once before, a decade ago, stadium rock is not its natural milieu. — Jeremy D. Goodwin, BostonGlobe.com, "At Fenway, Phish rallies after a tentative start," 6 July 2019 Writing in these pages in 1982, Charles Rosen and Henri Zerner set out the painterly characteristics of the juste milieu: forms must be clear and unambiguous, nothing fuzzy or imprecise. — James Fenton, The New York Review of Books, "Nasty & Nice," 9 May 2019 Indeed, although it must be said that the next stop, the sandbar, was more its milieu. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The Yamaha 242 Limited S Is Ready To Escape the Lake," 11 July 2019 Its delicate flavour is best expressed in the presence of fat, which is why the creams and custards of the elite’s pastry chefs became its natural milieu. — The Economist, "The murky world of Madagascar’s roaring vanilla trade," 5 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'milieu.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of milieu

1854, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for milieu

French, from Old French, midst, from mi middle (from Latin medius) + lieu place, from Latin locus — more at mid, stall

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More Definitions for milieu

milieu

noun
How to pronounce milieu (audio) How to pronounce milieu (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of milieu

formal : the physical or social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develops

See the full definition for milieu in the English Language Learners Dictionary

milieu

noun
mi·​lieu | \ mēl-ˈyə(r) How to pronounce milieu (audio) , -ˈyü; ˈmēl-ˌyü How to pronounce milieu (audio) , mē-lyœ̅\
plural milieus or milieux\ -​ˈyə(r)(z), -​ˈyüz; -​ˌyü(z), -​lyœ̅(z) How to pronounce milieux (audio) \

Medical Definition of milieu

: environment

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