geology
Americannoun
-
geologies
plural
-
the science that deals with the dynamics and physical history of the earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the physical, chemical, and biological changes that the earth has undergone or is undergoing.
-
the study of this science.
-
the geologic features and processes occurring in a given region on the earth or on a celestial body.
the geology of Mars; the geology of eastern Kentucky.
noun
-
the scientific study of the origin, history, structure, and composition of the earth
-
the geological features of a district or country
-
The scientific study of the origin of the Earth along with its rocks, minerals, land forms, and life forms, and of the processes that have affected them over the course of the Earth's history.
-
The structure of a specific region of the Earth, including its rocks, soils, mountains, fossils, and other features.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of geology
Explanation
Geology is the study of the Earth and what it's made of, including its natural history. Just as biology is the study of earth's life forms, geology is the study of the earth itself. Geology tells us where lakes once were, where volcanoes erupted, where glaciers pushed up mountains and then melted. Geologists — people who study geology — tell us where to find oil, coal and diamonds and then they explain how they got there. If you find the natural world beautiful and interesting, you might enjoy studying geology.
Vocabulary lists containing geology
Power Suffix: -ology
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Elements of the Universe: Geo ("Earth")
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Earth Science - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Alternating sparkling wit with sobering erudition, he surveys the geology, geography, ecology, and social and cultural history that came to define the rivers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
It conducts research in geology, biology, engineering and physics, the latter encompassing experiments studying dark matter, astrophysics and neutrinos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
For years the local council was concerned about the geology in the area as the mountain was moving, and later feared a landslide would engulf the village without warning.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
"The deep depth explained why it wasn't felt by people at the surface," said Zandt, who later spent many years on the geology faculty at the University of Arizona.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026
Although of course there was a third element as well, and that was geology.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
“We use the same geologies that have kept hydrocarbons underground for millions of years,” said Julia Reichelstein, the company’s cofounder and CEO.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2024
They range from ‘super-Earths’ with bizarre geologies and ‘mini-Neptunes’ with gassy atmospheres to ‘hot Jupiters,’ huge planets whirling close to their blazing stars.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 18, 2023
Reservoirs with high fracture density and connectivity, like the complicated geologies found in real-world settings, could provide even better results, the scientists said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2023
He hopes the predictive method can be applied to other areas of the world with similar geologies to Pakistan.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 23, 2017
Take the mythic cosmogonies of ancient Greece, Scandinavia, and India, and the geologies and astronomies of the present day, and compare their pages, changing things personal into things impersonal.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 15, January, 1859 by Various
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.
