meteorologist

IPA/ˌmiːtiəˈrɒlədʒɪst/
KK[mˌitiɚˈɑlədʒɪst]IPA/ˌmiːtiəˈrɑːlədʒɪst/

meteorologist — noun

  • meteorologistsingular
  • meteorologistsplural

1. a person whose job is to study the atmosphere and weather conditions, especially

1.nounB2
Definition

a person whose job is to study the atmosphere and weather conditions, especially to understand weather patterns and predict what the weather will be like

Example

The meteorologist on the evening news said a storm was moving toward the coast.

post-modifier: on the [news/service]

Mei-Lin wants to become a meteorologist because she has always been fascinated by typhoons.

Common collocations
  • meteorologist predicts / forecasts / tracks
  • meteorologist warns of / warns about
  • chief meteorologist
  • trained meteorologist
  • meteorologist at / for / on
Synonyms
  • weather forecaster

    broader term that includes anyone who predicts weather, with or without scientific training

  • climatologist

    focuses on long-term climate patterns (decades to centuries) rather than day-to-day weather

  • weatherman / weather girl

    informal terms for TV or radio presenters who report the forecast, often without scientific qualifications

Usage Note

Frequently used with a prepositional phrase specifying where the person works: 'meteorologist at/for [organisation]' or 'meteorologist on [TV programme]'. Unlike the informal term 'weatherman', 'meteorologist' implies professional scientific training.

Common Mistakes

The astronomer on TV said it will rain tomorrow.
The meteorologist on TV said it will rain tomorrow.
Astronomers study space and celestial objects; meteorologists study weather and the atmosphere.
He is a weatherman at the university climate lab.
He is a meteorologist at the university climate lab.
'Weatherman' is informal and usually refers to TV presenters, not a research scientist with formal training.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe people who talk about the weather, but they differ in training and scope. A meteorologist has formal scientific training in atmospheric science and works in research, government agencies, broadcasting, or private forecasting. A weather forecaster is a broader term that can include anyone who predicts the weather, with or without a science degree. A climatologist studies long-term climate patterns over decades or centuries rather than tomorrow's forecast. Weatherman (or weather girl) is an informal, sometimes dismissive term for the person who delivers the forecast on TV or radio — they may or may not be a qualified meteorologist. For example: 'The meteorologist at the weather service warned that the typhoon was growing stronger, while the weatherman on the morning show just told viewers to grab an umbrella.'

meteorologist ↗weather forecasterclimatologist ↗weatherman

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • team of meteorologists
  • chief meteorologist

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Meteorologist comes from the Greek word 'meteoron' (μετέωρον), meaning 'thing up in the sky' or 'atmospheric phenomenon.' In ancient Greece, 'meteora' referred to anything observed high above the ground — clouds, rain, snow, shooting stars, even comets. English borrowed 'meteorology' in the 1600s for the scientific study of the atmosphere. The suffix '-logist' means 'one who studies,' so a meteorologist is literally 'a person who studies things in the sky.' Over time the meaning narrowed to focus on weather and climate.