environmental effect
nounUK /ɪnˌvaɪ.rənˈmen.təl ɪˈfekt/
US /ɪnˌvaɪ.rənˈmen.t̬əl ɪˈfekt/
The way something changes the air, water, land, or living things around it.
The environmental effect of the new factory worried the nearby families.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A change in nature caused by human activity.
Scientists measured the environmental effect of the oil spill on the coast.
3. The result that a product or process has on the natural world.
The report compared the environmental effect of paper bags and plastic bags.
4. Any impact on the surroundings of a place or living thing.
Building the road had a big environmental effect on the local wildlife.