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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ecologists
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ecologist ecologists

You have to ask, “what are we doing to the planet and does that mean we will encounter more diseases?” said Janet Foley, a disease ecologist at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Australia's biodiversity "underpins everything", ecologist Jack Pascoe says.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Shannon LaDeau, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, worked on that study.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Nearly three-quarters were on Facebook, and many remained up even after being reported, said Russell Gray, a data scientist and ecologist who co-authored GI-TOC's April report.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

"The earth,” wrote the pioneering fire ecologist Edward V Komarek, "born in fire, baptized by lightning, since before life’s beginning has been and is, a fire planet.”

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Homeowner associations and ecologists argued for more lenient rules, saying plants carried health benefits and stricter regulations burdened homeowners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"That to me will develop ecologists for the future because they will remember this space and they will remember what it felt like to be able to test their ideas."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

After studying a few of these, the ecologists concluded that these crossings were more likely to be used by bats if they were well designed and positioned along existing flight routes.

From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026

After years of debate between fire officials seeking total vegetation removal within the first 5 feet of homes and ecologists backing selective landscaping, California proposed a compromise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

We train ecologists in our universities and even employ them in our governmental agencies but we seldom take their advice.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• biologist
• botanist
• conservationist
• environmentalist
• zoologist