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Technical Vocabularynoun · /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt ˈvɛriəbəl/

environment variable

In simple English

Environment variables are key-value pairs stored at the system or application level that programs read when they start. For example, your PATH environment variable tells your computer where to find executable programs, and a DATABASE_URL variable might tell your app which database to connect to. In tech teams, developers use environment variables to keep sensitive information (like API keys) and configuration details out of source code. This is especially important because you can set different values for development, testing, and production environments without changing the actual code. When you set an environment variable like export API_KEY=abc123 in your terminal, any program launched from that terminal session can access it.

What are environment variables and how do you use them in programming and system configuration?

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓We store sensitive data in environment variables
✓Set the environment variable before running the script
✓Check if the environment variable is defined

Real examples

in a standup

"We moved the database connection string to an environment variable so different team members can use their own local databases."

in a code review

"Good catch—we should never hardcode the API key in the source. Let us use an environment variable instead."

in a team meeting

"The deployment failed because the REDIS_URL environment variable was not set on the staging server."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Often confused with local variables or parameters. Do not use it to refer to any variable in code—it specifically means system-level or OS-level configuration values.

✕I need to environment variable this value.
✓I need to store this value in an environment variable.— Environment variable is a noun, not a verb. You store or set environment variables, but you do not environment variable something.
✕We use environment variables for all our variables in the code.
✓We use environment variables for configuration data and sensitive information.— Environment variables are specifically for OS or system-level configuration, not for every variable in your code.
✕The environment variable is stored in the source code repository.
✓The environment variable is stored in the operating system or a .env file, not in the repository.— Environment variables should be kept separate from code for security and flexibility reasons.

Other forms

noun

environment variable

"Set the environment variable before deploying."

noun (plural)

environment variables

"We use environment variables to configure our microservices."

adjective (modifier)

environment variable

"The environment variable value was incorrect."

Often used with

set an environment variableTo assign or create an environment variable with a value
define an environment variableTo specify what an environment variable should be
read an environment variableTo access or retrieve the value stored in an environment variable
export an environment variableTo make an environment variable available to child processes
environment variable is not setWhen an environment variable does not exist or has no value

Similar words

env varInformal abbreviation, used in casual conversation and documentation
configuration variableBroader term that can include environment variables and other config settings
system variableSpecifically refers to variables managed by the operating system

Opposites

hardcoded valuelocal variableinline parameter

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Practice

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4 quick exercises

Complete the sentence

1. We should _______ the DATABASE_URL environment variable before running the application.

Spot the mistake

2. Which sentence uses 'environment variable' incorrectly?

Pick the most natural phrasing

3. Your teammate asks how to handle API keys securely. What do you say?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this technical explanation in simpler English: 'Environment variables are dynamic named values that affect the way running processes will behave on a computer.'

Questions

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