ecological

adjective

eco·​log·​i·​cal ˌē-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl  ˌe-kə- 

variants or less commonly ecologic

ˌē-kə-ˈlä-jik 

ˌe-kə-

1

: of or relating to the science of ecology

ecological studies

2

: of or relating to the environments of living things or to the relationships between living things and their environments

The ecological effects of the turf monoculture become even more troubling as large tracts, such as golf courses, displace whole ecosystems in a single stroke.

—Adelheid Fischer

In every community in nature, each type of organism has its own specialized role to play in what is called an ecological niche.

—William Threlfall

Rush was scoffing at concerns that the schools of sharks gathering off the coast of Florida might be an indication of some harmful ecological change.

—Al Franken

The chief of a new environmental protection committee, Fyodor Morgun, blamed the "ill-considered drive to build gigantic plants" for a Pandora's box of ecological problems, including air and water pollution.

—William R. Doerner et al.

3

: of or relating to human ecology

Ecological data suggest that in rural areas the availability of family physicians is associated with reduced mortality rate after adjustment for demographic and economic factors.

—Peter Franks et al.

ecologically

ˌē-kə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē 

ˌe-kə-

adverb

… an ecologically rich river basin …

—Cultural Survival Quarterly

Sustainable agricultural practices involve making choices that are not only ecologically sound but also economically viable and socially just.

—Karin Springen

Examples of ecological in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the Ulithi atoll, in the Federated States of Micronesia, however, some reefs are struggling with a different kind of ecological shift: getting smothered by a single type of weedy coral. —Fanni Szakal, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2024

Over millennia, humans became co-conductors of fire’s ecological rhythms. —Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024

The buildings that were erected were built with wood and recycled materials, employing processes that, according to Grenon, reduced the project’s carbon footprint by 30% per square meter — more than French ecological regulations require. —Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 25 June 2024

That ecological issue is one of the main reasons why Rep. Linda Chaney, a Republican representing southern Pinellas County, sponsored the bill. —Max Chesnes, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 2