Climactic or Climatic?

What Is the Difference between "Climactic" and "Climatic"?

"Climactic" and "climatic" are easy to confuse because they sound so similar.

• "Climactic" means final, ultimate, or concluding. It comes from "climax," so carries the connotation of "the highest point." For example:
• It is a climactic ending to the film.
• We are nearing the climactic events that end with the Second Coming of Christ. (Evangelist Hal Lindsey)
• "Climatic" means relating to the climate. For example:
• Tree growth is mostly determined by climatic events.
• On Earth, we still have a beautiful atmosphere that precisely maintains a thermally driven climatic system that shelters, shields, and sustains our natural treasures. (US politician Jay Inslee)

More about "Climactic" and "Climatic"

Climactic

The adjective "climactic" derives from the noun "climax." It pertains to a peak, a decisive moment, or the point of greatest tension.

Example sentences with "climactic":

• In the climactic scene of the movie, the aliens emerge from the capsule and start zapping the onlookers.
• Who would have thought that the season would have ended in such a climactic way?

Climatic

The adjective "climatic" derives from the noun "climate." It usually pertains to the weather.

Example sentences with "climatic":

• Climatic change is defined as the long-term significant change in the expected patterns of weather.
• His assessment of the eco-climatic system over Africa is based solely on satellite data.