calentamiento global
nounCEFR B1
What does “calentamiento global” mean in English?
global warming
global warming (the long-term rise in Earth's average temperature due to greenhouse gases — el calentamiento global provoca..., frenar el calentamiento)
Example sentences
El calentamiento global ya está afectando los patrones de lluvia y hace que las sequías sean más frecuentes y largas.
Global warming is already affecting rainfall patterns and is causing droughts to be more frequent and longer.
Si no frenamos el calentamiento global a tiempo, los científicos predicen que el nivel del mar subirá varios metros.
If we do not halt global warming in time, scientists predict that sea levels will rise by several metres.
Muchos países han firmado acuerdos internacionales para limitar el calentamiento global a menos de dos grados.
Many countries have signed international agreements to limit global warming to less than two degrees.
How to use it
El calentamiento global means 'global warming' — the long-term rise in Earth's average temperature due to the greenhouse effect. It is masculine (el calentamiento, noun from calentar). This term focuses on the temperature dimension, while el cambio climático is the broader concept. Key collocates: el calentamiento global provoca..., luchar contra el calentamiento global, emisiones de CO₂.
Common mistake
El calentamiento global (global warming) and el cambio climático (climate change) are related but distinct: calentamiento global refers specifically to the temperature rise; cambio climático is the broader set of changes (temperature, precipitation, storms, sea level). In science and policy discourse both appear frequently and should not be swapped. The noun calentamiento comes from the verb calentar (to heat up).