Definition: The science of studying the characteristics of the atmosphere such as its temperature, density, winds, clouds, precipitation, and other atmospheric phenomena and aiming to account for the weather in terms of external influences and the basic laws of physics. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)
the discipline (education, history, etc) only; use METEOROLOGICAL CONCEPTS or specifics treed under it for atmospheric and climatic characteristics and phenomena