ecology

American  

[ih-kol-uh-jee, ee-kol-] / ɪˈkɒl ə dʒi, iˈkɒl- /

Archaic, oecology

noun

plural

ecologies

1. the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment, including other organisms.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Also called human ecology.  the branch of sociology concerned with the spacing and interdependence of people and institutions.

5. advocacy for the protection of natural resources from pollution or its effects; environmentalism.

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ecology British  

/ ɪˈkɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment

2. the set of relationships of a particular organism with its environment

3. the study of the relationships between human groups and their physical environment

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ecology Scientific  

/ ĭ-kŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of the relationships between living things and their environments.

2. Also called bionomics

3. A system of such relationships within a particular environment.

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ecology Cultural  

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

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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

The retired ecology teacher said she just wanted to find out for herself what people do in the shelter.

From The Wall Street Journal

"China developed so fast, there was no time to educate people about ecology and once adults values are formed, they're really hard to change. Maybe they can't be changed in a lifetime."

From BBC

I had hiked to Jordan Hot Springs and the burn scar of the 2002 McNally fire to probe big questions of fire ecology: Are Sierra forests overgrown?

From Los Angeles Times

At the time, the goal was strictly related to national security, not ecology.

From Science Daily

Watson’s appointment as artistic director of Los Feliz’s Skylight Theatre Company starting Jan. 1 is good news for the city’s theater ecology.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• conservation
• preservation