Climactic comes from the noun climax, the “peak” of an event or story, while climatic comes from the noun climate which refers to the long-term weather patterns of an area; for instance, there is a Mediterranean climate and a tropical climate, among others.
So, climactic means “associated with the climax, peak, or highest point of an experience, story, journey, or other event”:
There is always a big explosion at the climactic moment of a Hollywood action film.
Climactic is often used in the term anti-climactic, which means “disappointing”:
A lot of people thought the last Star Wars film was anti-climactic.
Climatic, in contrast, means “associated with climate (long-term weather patterns)”:
The climatic impacts of burning fossil fuels will be felt for decades to come.
Remember that climate and climatic can also be used to refer to the atmosphere inside a building, or even metaphorically, for a social or political atmosphere—although climatic is most often used in connection with the Earth’s climate.
More Examples of How to Use "Climactic" in a Sentence
- The movie had a very climactic ending, with the villain being killed and the heroes being saved.
- The novel's climactic moment was when the protagonist finally killed the dragon.
- The trial took a very climactic turn when the defendant confessed to the crime.
- The argument between the two friends ended in a climactic way, with one of them storming out of the room.
- The date ended on a climactic note, with both of them realizing that they had feelings for each other.
- It was a climactic moment for him when he finally got his promotion.
- The movie was a tremendous success, and it was a climactic moment for the director.
- The climactic ending of a book is the part readers remember the most.
- The climactic moment of the play came when the two main characters shared a loving kiss.
- The movie's climax was so intense that I jumped out of my seat.
- The novel's climactic scene takes place at the top of the Empire State Building.
- The trial had been full of twists and turns, but the climactic moment was when the defendant took the stand.
- The movie was full of suspense, but the climactic scene was a bit of a letdown.
- The speech was building to a climactic finish, but he was cut off by the timer.
- The climatic conditions were not exactly perfect for a day at the beach, but we went anyway.
More Examples of How to Use "Climatic" in a Sentence
- The last few years have seen a marked increase in the frequency of climatic disasters.
- These climatic changes are thought to be the result of human activity.
- The climatic impact of the volcano's eruption has been widely debated among scientists.
- Climatic conditions and their effects on the environment are a major focus of my research.
- The film is a work of art—the climatic scenes are dramatic and beautiful.
- Climatic change is diverse, complex, and hard to measure.
- Sudden or drastic climatic changes in the environment can have a huge impact on your health.
- It was the perfect climatic conditions to enjoy the beautiful sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.
- The climatic conditions in northern Europe are suitable for growing grapes.
- It’s clear that climatic change is going to create a surge in demand for renewable energy.
- However, it is unfortunate that the climatic change will also bring more extreme weather events.