ecology
Americannoun
plural
ecologies-
the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment, including other organisms.
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the set of relationships existing between organisms and their environment.
Inflowing rivers introduce nutrients and sediments that are important for the ecology of the lake.
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the set of relationships existing between any complex system and its surroundings or environment.
In the ecology of healthcare, both politics and technology play a key role.
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Also called human ecology. the branch of sociology concerned with the spacing and interdependence of people and institutions.
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advocacy for the protection of natural resources from pollution or its effects; environmentalism.
noun
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the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment
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the set of relationships of a particular organism with its environment
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the study of the relationships between human groups and their physical environment
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The scientific study of the relationships between living things and their environments.
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Also called bionomics
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A system of such relationships within a particular environment.
Related Words
See ecosystem ( def. ).
Other Word Forms
- ecologic adjective
- ecological adjective
- ecologically adverb
- ecologist noun
- unecological adjective
- unecologically adverb
Etymology
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 (1834–1919)
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.
He works primarily on issues relating to climate, ecology, and U.S. news.
The project involved experts in archaeology, geology, and ecology from The Netherlands, Denmark, France, and UK.
From Science Daily
He knew all about the mingling of river and seawater, and how different levels of salinity affected the ecology.
From Literature
The results also shed light on a long-standing puzzle in ocean ecology.
From Science Daily
Kampnich, in particular, has helped the research team understand the island's ecology and terrain.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
