Meaning & use
geographic
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Relating to the physical features and locations of places on Earth.
Grammar: Used before a noun: geographic region. No comparative forms.
Patterns
- geographic region
- geographic location
- geographic feature
The country's geographic location makes it vulnerable to hurricanes.
The map shows the geographic features of the area, including rivers and mountains.
Geographic barriers like deserts can isolate animal populations.
adjectivenot comparable
Relating to the study of geography as a school or university subject.
Grammar: Used before a noun: geographic knowledge.
Patterns
- geographic knowledge
- geographic education
The test measures students' geographic knowledge of world capitals.
She has a strong geographic understanding of climate zones.
Common combinations
- geographic area
- This plant grows only in a small geographic area.
- geographic distribution
- The geographic distribution of the species is shrinking.
- geographic information system
- The city uses a geographic information system to plan new roads.
- geographic isolation
- Geographic isolation can lead to the evolution of new species.
Synonyms and how they differ
- geographical
- Geographical means the same, but geographic is more common in American English.
- spatial
- Spatial is broader and can refer to any arrangement in space, not just on Earth.
Word family
- geography noun
- The study of the Earth's surface and human activity.
- geographically adverb
- In a way that relates to geography.
Commonly confused: geographic or geological?
geographic vs geological
Geological is about rocks and the Earth's structure, while geographic is about places and their features.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'The ______ distribution of the disease varies by region.'
Choose one answer.
Geographic fits because it refers to location and region. Geological is about rocks, geometric is about shapes, and geodesic is about shortest paths.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “geographic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.