stratosphere

noun

strato·​sphere ˈstra-tə-ˌsfir 

1

: the part of the earth's atmosphere which extends from the top of the troposphere to about 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface and in which temperature increases gradually to about 32°F (0°C) and clouds rarely form

2

: a very high or the highest region on or as if on a graded scale

construction costs in the stratosphere

the celebrity stratosphere

stratospheric

ˌstra-tə-ˈsfir-ik 

-ˈsfer-

adjective

stratospherically

ˌstra-tə-ˈsfir-i-k(ə-)lē

-ˈsfer-

adverb

Did you know?

The stratosphere (strato- simply means "layer" or "level") lies above the earth's weather and mostly changes very little. It contains the ozone layer, which shields us from the sun's ultraviolet radiation except where it's been harmed by manmade chemicals. The levels of the atmosphere are marked particularly by their temperatures; stratospheric temperatures rise only to around 32°—very moderate considering that temperatures in the troposphere below may descend to about -70° and those in the ionosphere above may rise to 1000°.

Examples of stratosphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Though Roan has been working in the music industry for several years, her profile recently exploded into a new stratosphere following the release of her first studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, last September. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 23 June 2024

General Daily Insight for June 06, 2024 Our ideas can lift us into new stratospheres! —Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2024

The video was well-received on the broadcast, but the thing burned through the cultural stratosphere after unofficial rips were uploaded to YouTube, then just mere months in existence. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024

While some have speculated on whether Snowflake’s AI efforts could launch the company into an Nvidia-like stratosphere of revenue and stock value, Ramaswamy sounds firmly grounded on the here and now. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French stratosphère, probably from stratus stratus (from the zone's layer-like character, compared to stratus clouds) + -o- -o- + -sphère -sphere

Note: The term was introduced, along with troposphère, by the French meteorologist Léon Tesserenc de Bort (1855-1913). See note at troposphere.

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stratosphere

• the stratosphere

Kids Definition

stratosphere

noun

strato·​sphere ˈstrat-ə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

: an upper portion of the atmosphere above the troposphere where temperature changes little and clouds rarely form