ecology

[ ih-kol-uh-jee ]

/ ɪˈkɒl ə dʒi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ecology 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.

RELATED WORDS

conservation, preservation, bionomics

Nearby words

ecological, ecological efficiency, ecological footprint, ecological niche, ecological succession, ecology, ecomanagement, econ., econazole, econiche, econometrics

Also Archaic, oe·col·o·gy.

Origin of ecology

1870–75; earlier oecology < German Ökologie < Greek oîk(os) “house, dwelling” + -o- + German -logie -logy; term introduced by E. H. Haeckel

Related forms

ec·o·log·i·cal

[ek-uh-loj-i-kuh l, 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

Can be confused

biosphere ecology ecosystem environment habitat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ecology

And of course one needs to convince the French Ministries of Culture and of Ecology that the application makes sense.
The Next UNESCO World Heritage Site: Burgundy’s Pinot Noir Country?|Jordan Salcito|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In other words, criticism is a tiny part of the ecology of the music business, but an essential part.
Music Criticism Has Degenerated Into Lifestyle Reporting|Ted Gioia|March 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
None of Denes's issues, in art or politics or economics or ecology, are any less worth addressing today than 30 years ago.
Nebraska Meets Lower Manhattan|Blake Gopnik|June 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The boat was also traced to the tsunami, Curt Hart of the Washington Department of Ecology told The Daily Beast.
As Japan’s Tsunami Debris Arrives, Can U.S. West Coast Handle It?|Winston Ross|September 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The lectures have featured such topics as the effect of temperature on chocolate, browning foods, and the ecology of farming.
Home Ec at Harvard|Laura Colarusso|December 6, 2010|DAILY BEAST
As the "Age of Ecology" broadens into the 1970's, wolves and wolf habitat will become a subject of concerted research.
Ecological Studies of the Timber Wolf in Northeastern Minnesota|L. David Mech
Eastern woodrat, Neotoma floridana: Life history and ecology.
Fishes of Chautauqua, Cowley and Elk Counties, Kansas|Artie L. Metcalf
When Martin entered, it was instantly evident that ecology took a sudden shift toward the worse.
The Ego Machine|Henry Kuttner
The wolf: the ecology and behavior of an endangered species.
An Experimental Translocation of the Eastern Timber Wolf|Thomas F. Weise
(Biologyprogram, unit 1: Ecology, the world oflife about us) Eastman color.
Motion Pictures 1960-1969|Copyright Office. Library of Congress.

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

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

Medicine definitions for ecology

ecology

[ ĭ-kŏl′ə-jē ]

n.

The branch of science that is concerned with the relationships between organisms and their environments.

The relationship between organisms and their environments.

The study of the detrimental effects of modern civilization on the environment, with a view toward their prevention or reversal through conservation.

Related forms

e′co•log′i•cal (ē′kə-lŏj′ĭ-kəl, ĕk′ə-) null adj.e•col′o•gist n.

Science 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.

Culture definitions for ecology

ecology

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