milieu

noun, plural mi·lieus, French mi·lieux [mee-lyœ] /miˈlyœ/.

1. surroundings, especially of a social or cultural nature: a snobbish milieu.

noun plural -lieux (-ljɜː, -ljɜːz, French -ljø) or -lieus

1. surroundings, location, or setting

n.“surroundings,” 1877, from French milieu, “middle, medium, mean,” literally “middle place” (12c.), from mi “middle” (from Latin medius; see medial (adj.)) + lieu “place” (see lieu). n. pl. mi•lieus

1. The totality of one’s surroundings; an environment.
2. The social setting of a mental patient.