ecology
noun
ecol·o·gy
| \ i-ˈkä-lə-jē
, e-\
, e-\
plural ecologies
Definition of ecology
1
: a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments
2
: the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment
3
: human ecology
4
: environment, climate
the moral ecology
also
: an often delicate or intricate system or complex
the ecology of language
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Other Words from ecology
ecologist
\ i-ˈkä-lə-jist
, e- \
noun
, e- \
noun
Examples of ecology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Laughing around fruits, flowers, bees, honey, certain insects, or in fact anything that has to do with the ecology of the fruit season carries enormous risks. — Alice Rudge, Quartz, "Why we laugh when we know we shouldn’t," 28 Aug. 2019 But the train must be designed in a way that respects the delicate ecology, indigenous history and social fabric of the region. — Gabriel Diaz Montemayor, The Conversation, "Mexico wants to run a tourist train through its Mayan heartland — should it?," 13 Aug. 2019 For different ecology, head south to the Western Ghats, a redoubtable mountain range hugging the southwest coast of the peninsula. — Payal Dhar, Washington Post, "Keep your cool in India by visiting one of the country’s hill stations," 5 July 2019 Learn about native plants, herbs, soil ecology, regenerative agriculture, permaculture and more. — Ramona Sentinel, "Two nonprofits to stage AnomaR arts festival," 27 June 2019 The camp teaches kids about the ecology of the San Francisco Bay shoreline with hands-on projects that typically include playing in the bay mud on the beach. — Matthew Pera, The Mercury News, "Tiburon beaches closed amid bay contamination probe," 27 July 2019 And some fiber types can only be broken down by the gut microbiome, the ecology of trillions of diverse bacteria lining our intestines and colon. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "Nearly all Americans fail to eat enough of this actual superfood," 15 July 2019 Experts on wildlife, ecology and rangeland for both sides gave conflicting testimony about whether the grazing would harm sage grouse and redband trout in the Steens Mountain area. — Maxine Bernstein, oregonlive.com, "Judge won’t rule until July 17 on request to bar further grazing by Hammond Ranches Inc.," 28 June 2019 What’s needed are investments in tick biology and ecology, and investigations into how ticks arrive in new territory and what carries them around. — Maryn Mckenna, WIRED, "The Terrifying Unknowns of an Exotic Invasive Tick," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ecology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ecology
ecology
noun
English Language Learners Definition of ecology
: a science that deals with the relationships between groups of living things and their environments
: the relationships between a group of living things and their environment
See the full definition for ecology in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ecology
noun
ecol·o·gy
| \ i-ˈkä-lə-jē
\
\
Kids Definition of ecology
1
: a branch of science concerned with the relationships between living things and their environment
2
: the pattern of relationships between living things and their environment
ecology
noun
ecol·o·gy
| \ -jē
\
\
plural ecologies
Medical Definition of ecology
1
: a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments
2
: the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment
3
: human ecology
Other Words from ecology
ecological
\ ˌē-kə-ˈläj-i-kəl
, ËŒek-É™-
\
also ecologic \ -ik
\
adjective
, ËŒek-É™-
\
also ecologic \ -ik
\
adjective
ecologically
\ -i-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
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