English vocabulary · C1
Milieu
/miːlˈjuː/ · n.
Milieu is the people, places, and ways of life all around someone. What is around you can strongly shape how you live and think.
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Example sentences
- Artists thrived in that milieu.
- That strict milieu shaped his habits.
Word origin and roots
from French
- milieu — middle place (from French)
Synonyms and nuances
- SETTING — where events happen (Place And Time)
- CONTEXT — facts giving meaning (Meaning Around It)
- BACKGROUND — surrounding life conditions (Shaping Conditions)
Similar words
- environment
- setting
- surroundings
- background
- context
Lesson notes
Milieu is the people, places, and ways of life all around someone. What is around you can strongly shape how you live and think.
Related: setting, context, background. Use milieu when surroundings shape someone.
Artists thrived in that milieu. That strict milieu shaped his habits.
From French. Milieu- means middle place. A middle place becomes the world around you. That is milieu.