ecological

British  

/ ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to ecology

2. (of a practice, policy, product, etc) tending to benefit or cause minimal damage to the environment

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Other Word Forms

• ecologically
  adverb

Explanation

Anything ecological relates to the science of ecology, which is the study of how living things and the environment do their thing. If you're interested in issues like preserving rain forests, saving endangered species, and keeping drinking water safe, you're interested in ecological issues. Ecological things have to do with how plants and animals relate to each other, in good and bad ways, in specific environments — from the impact of floods on river insects to how smog harms humans. Just about anything people do has an ecological impact — for better or worse.

Example Sentences

“However, in principle, and even as a power systems engineer, I believe it is important to prioritize our cultural, ecological and environmental assets.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

In “Stranger Things,” where spider-like beings attack from their nest in the Upside Down, nature is striking back at human beings, the monsters of ecological collapse.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

In its earliest days, TBS aired old movies and comedy reruns, and was also the home of “Captain Planet and the Planeteers,” Turner’s effort to blend his passion for ecological conservation with educational programming.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

Spain's ecological transition ministry said it was preparing support measures for workers, including retraining programmes linked to a planned electric vehicle battery factory set to open nearby by a Chinese industrial group.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Meggers’s message of limitation, published within a year of the first Earth Day, resonated in the ears of readers newly converted to the ecological movement.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann