ecology

American  

[ih-kol-uh-jee, ee-kol-] / ɪˈkɒl ə dʒi, iˈkɒl- /

Archaic, oecology

noun

plural

ecologies

1. the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment, including other organisms.

2. the set of relationships existing between organisms and their environment.

   Inflowing rivers introduce nutrients and sediments that are important for the ecology of the lake.

3. the set of relationships existing between any complex system and its surroundings or environment.

   In the ecology of healthcare, both politics and technology play a key role.

4. Also called human ecology.  the branch of sociology concerned with the spacing and interdependence of people and institutions.

5. advocacy for the protection of natural resources from pollution or its effects; environmentalism.

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ecology British  

/ ɪˈkɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment

2. the set of relationships of a particular organism with its environment

3. the study of the relationships between human groups and their physical environment

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ecology Scientific  

/ ĭ-kŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of the relationships between living things and their environments.

2. Also called bionomics

3. A system of such relationships within a particular environment.

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ecology Cultural  

1. The study of living things, their environment, and the relation between the two.

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Related Words

See ecosystem ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

• ecologic adjective
• ecological adjective
• ecologically adverb
• ecologist noun
• unecological adjective
• unecologically adverb

Etymology

Origin of ecology

First recorded in 1870–75; earlier oecology, from German Ökologie, from Greek oîk(os) “house, dwelling” + -o- + German -logie -logy; term introduced by E. H. Haeckel (1834–1919)

Explanation

The noun ecology describes the environment as it connects to living things, or the branch of biology that studies that environment. The German zoologist Ernst Haeckel coined the word ecology almost 150 years ago, and it should come as no surprise — his being a serious scientist and all — that he combined a couple of Greek words to do it. Oikos means "habitation" and -ology means "the study of." So ecology started off as the study of where things live. More and more, though, the word is used interchangeably with environment.

Example Sentences

"We will continue to consider all additional research into the habitat and ecology of the Lough as appropriate".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

That’s what led to an epic superbloom in 2017, Joan Dudney, an assistant professor of forest ecology at UC Santa Barbara, told The Times in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The two men share a concern for ecology and a passion for sport, according to the diocese of Monaco.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

"Although previous DNA-based surveys have revealed a wide diversity of marine fungi, only a handful of parasitic species have ever been isolated, and their ecology has remained largely unknown," said Pou-Solà.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

For each of us, as for the robin in Michigan or the salmon in the Miramichi, this is a problem of ecology, of interrelationships, of interdependence.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• conservation
• preservation