semitropic

7.9

Having a climate like the area just outside the tropics with mild winters and hot summers

adjective
/ˌsɛmɪˈtrɒpɪk/

: semitropical

The region experiences semitropic weather, with mild winters and hot, humid summers.

Examples

The semitropic climate in southern Spain attracts many tourists.
They moved to a semitropic climate to escape harsh northern winters.
Many plants found in this area thrive in a semitropic environment.
Can you describe a semitropic ecosystem?
The region experiences semitropic weather, with mild winters and hot, humid summers.
Many plants found in this area thrive in a semitropic environment.
They moved to a semitropic climate to escape harsh northern winters.

Synonyms

subtropical

vssemitropic

7 4.6

A region just north or south of the tropics with hot, humid summers and mild winters

focuses on general resemblance to that climate rather than seasonal detail

semitropical

vssemitropic

1 5.8

A warm, humid climate that is just outside the hottest parts of the Earth

is the same in meaning but uses a different adjective form

subtropic

vssemitropic

5.5

A region to the north and south of the tropics with warm or mild weather

leans toward a warmer, more humid sense rather than simply mild warmth

How Tropical

tropical

144 3.4

subtropical

7 4.6

semitropic

7.9

temperate

14 3.9

Surface Forms

semitropic positive

Morphology

semitropic = tropic (semi-transparent) = semi + tropic

The word is built from semi- + tropic, and the general idea of 'partly tropical' is visible, but the specific sense 'just outside the tropics' is a little specialized.

Etymology

Semitropic is made of semi- meaning 'half' or 'partly' and tropic which is the same root as tropical, meaning 'of the tropics' or very warm regions near the equator. So semitropic means 'partly tropical', referring to places just outside the tropics that have similar warm, mild weather.