ecocide

American  

[ek-uh-sahyd, ee-kuh-] / ˈɛk əˌsaɪd, ˈi kə- /

noun

1. the destruction of large areas of the natural environment by such activity as nuclear warfare, overexploitation of resources, or dumping of harmful chemicals.

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ecocide British  

/ ˈiːkəˌsaɪd, ˈɛkə- /

noun

1. total destruction of an area of the natural environment, esp by human agency

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Other Word Forms

• ecocidal
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of ecocide

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; eco- + -cide

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ecocide

On land, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots constituted "ecocide", contaminating soil and groundwater and causing long-term risks to people's health.

From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026

Mr. Pitts dismisses this ecocide narrative and places the blame for environmental degradation where it belongs: with colonial intruders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

The so-called ecocide narrative argues that deforestation led to conflict and population decline before Europeans arrived in the 18th century, turning the island into a cautionary tale about overconsumption.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026

An international campaign currently underway calls for an amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to add ecocide as a fifth prosecutable crime alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.

From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2025

The country's prosecutor general's office said it was investigating a possible crime of "ecocide."

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2023

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