ecology

[ ih-kol-uh-jee, ee-kol- ]

/ ɪˈkɒl ə dʒi, iˈkɒl- /

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See synonyms for: ecology / ecological / ecologist on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural e·col·o·gies for defs. 2, 3.

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

the set of relationships existing between organisms and their environment: desert ecologies.

the set of relationships existing between any complex system and its surroundings or environment: the ecology and politics of healthcare.

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

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

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Also Archaic, oe·col·o·gy .

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

OTHER WORDS FROM ecology

ec·o·log·i·cal

[ek-uh-loj-i-kuhl, ee-kuh-], /ˌɛk əˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl, ˌi kə-/, ec·o·log·ic, adjectiveec·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverbe·col·o·gist, nounun·ec·o·log·i·cal, adjective

un·ec·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ecology

biosphere, ecology , ecosystem, environment, habitat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ecology in a sentence

Bayley’s own specialty is coral reef ecology, and his curiosity is piqued by what the cooperation represents.
Octopuses Find New Hunting Buddies - Issue 95: Escape|Brandon Keim|January 28, 2021|Nautilus
As Kayardild and other Aboriginal tongues faded under British rule, the communities lost the ability to pass on their understanding of natural patterns and island ecology.
Local languages are dying out and taking invaluable knowledge with them|Hannah Seo|January 25, 2021|Popular-Science
If we better understood where these viruses are circulating and understood that ecology, we would have the potential to disrupt and minimize the risk of spillover.
The Man Who Saw the Pandemic Coming - Issue 94: Evolving|Kevin Berger|December 30, 2020|Nautilus
In 2018, you and colleagues wrote in Science, “Our ability to mitigate disease emergence is undermined by our poor understanding of the diversity and ecology of viral threats.”
The Man Who Saw the Pandemic Coming - Issue 94: Evolving|Kevin Berger|December 30, 2020|Nautilus

When the right ecology comes into play, it starts getting cold, and damp, then it starts replicating like crazy.
The Man Who Saw the Pandemic Coming - Issue 94: Evolving|Kevin Berger|December 30, 2020|Nautilus
Within these zones certain ecologic communities can be recognized; these represent several biotic provinces.
Mammals of the San Gabriel Mountains of California|Terry A. Vaughan
The ecologic niche of the brush rabbit is in brush where the plants form continuous thickets with little open ground.
Mammals of the San Gabriel Mountains of California|Terry A. Vaughan
Presumably the two occupy different ecologic niches, much as rixosa and frenata probably do where they occur together.
American Weasels|E. Raymond Hall
The economic and ecologic significance of insects in the diet of birds is often oversimplified.
Food of the Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm, in South-central Kansas|Dwight Platt
Therefore, in its ecologic relationships with many other species, it is a density dependent predator.
Food of the Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm, in South-central Kansas|Dwight Platt

British Dictionary definitions for ecology

ecology

/ (ɪˈkɒlədʒɪ) /

noun

the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment

the set of relationships of a particular organism with its environment

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

Also called (for senses 1, 2): bionomics

Derived forms of ecology

ecologist, noun

Word Origin for ecology

C19: from German Ökologie, from Greek oikos house (hence, environment)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for ecology

ecology

[ ĭ-kŏl′ə-jē ]

The scientific study of the relationships between living things and their environments. Also called bionomics

A system of such relationships within a particular environment.

Cultural definitions for ecology

ecology

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

ecology

Origin of ecology

OTHER WORDS FROM ecology

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ecology

Words related to ecology

How to use ecology in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ecology

Derived forms of ecology

Word Origin for ecology

Scientific definitions for ecology

Cultural definitions for ecology