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Synonyms

ecologist

American  
[ih-kol-uh-jist, ee-kol-] / ɪˈkɒl ə dʒɪst, iˈkɒl- /

noun

ecologists plural
  1. a scientist or researcher whose field of study involves the relationships and interactions between organisms and their environment.

    Ecosystem ecologists study how nutrients, energy, and water flow through an ecosystem.

  2. an environmentalist.

    Like climate change activists and ecologists around the world, I feel passionately that the issue is crucial to the long-term well-being of the human race.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of ecologist

ecolog(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

An ecologist is a scientist who studies how animals and plants interact with their environment. If you spend hours watching television shows about animals, maybe you’ve got an ecologist inside you trying to get out. To be an ecologist, first you have to learn about ecology — the study of organisms and how they relate to their environment. Ecology is a word that comes from the Greek oikos, meaning “house.” Basically, ecologists study the environment like it’s a big house, and all the living creatures in it are roommates. Sounds like a lot of work, and it is.

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Vocabulary lists containing ecologist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nadya Mirochnitchenko, an ecologist with the project, said the wildlife around the brook had transformed.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

"The Vjosa-Narta landscape, including the Zvernec region, is one of Albania's most valuable natural ecosystems, and its importance extends far beyond the country's borders", Olsi Nika, a biologist and aquatic ecologist, said at the protest.

From Barron's • Jun. 20, 2026

As an ecologist in Canada, Mr. Thie was fascinated by how beavers transform ecosystems through dam networks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Human infections are rare but could be underreported because Rickettsia lanei symptoms are very similar to those of rocky mountain spotted fever, said Janet Foley, veterinarian and disease ecologist at UC Davis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

As cultural ecologist Paul Shepard has observed, The nomadic Bedouin does not dote on scenery, paint landscapes, or compile a nonutilitarian natural history..

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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