ecosystem

noun

eco·sys·tem | \ ˈē-kō-ˌsi-stəm

, ˈe-kō-\

plural ecosystems

Definition of ecosystem

1 : the complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological unit That influx of fresh water alters the ocean's salinity near the seafloor, a factor that influences the makeup of the ecosystems in those places.— Sid Perkins Global warming, if it proceeds as many scientists predict, threatens to undo decades of conservation work and could mean the destruction of the monarch butterfly, the edelweiss, the polar bear and innumerable other species living in fragile ecosystems, an emerging body of scientific evidence suggests.— William K. Stevens

2 : something (such as a network of businesses) considered to resemble an ecological ecosystem especially because of its complex interdependent parts Newspaper layoffs have ripple effects for the entire local news ecosystem because, as the Congressional Research Service noted, television, radio and online outlets often "piggyback on reporting done by much larger newspaper staffs."— David Sirota Lots of Walmart customers are underserved by banks and other financial institutions, [Daniel] Eckert says; the company's experiments with finance-related products and services help customers "not only save money but also have access to a financial ecosystem they were crowded out from."— Rob Walker

Other Words from ecosystem The Environment of Ecosystem More Example Sentences Learn More about ecosystem

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Other Words from ecosystem

ecosystemic \ ˌē-kō-si-ˈste-mik

, ˌe-kō- \ adjective

The Amazon invariably evokes superlatives and often hyperbole. Stock images such as river dimensions and biotic variety are now joined with notions of forest biomass and ecosystemic complexity. — Kent Mathewson The women of Sex and the City occasionally argued, sure, but their ecosystemic purpose—to be there for their friends as they date and search and marry—was always extremely clear. — Megan Garber

The Environment of Ecosystem

For the now-ubiquitous prefix eco-, we can thank the great German zoologist Ernst Haeckel, who in 1866 coined the term oekologie from the Greek oikos, meaning “home, place to live.” Haeckel was thinking primarily of the “homes” of animals, but by the time the word translated into English in 1875 (initially spelled “oecology”), its meaning had broadened to embrace plant habitats as well. The related term ecosystem was proposed by the British botanist Arthur Tansley, 60 years after one of his own professors first translated Haeckel’s oekologie. It may have been ecosystem, which treats eco- as a prefix to a standard English word, that gave English speakers permission to do the same in coining a host of other terms: ecosphere, ecotour, eco-friendly, and all the rest. Meanwhile, ecosystem itself has been appropriated freely in all kinds of contexts well removed from the natural environment: the “app ecosystem,” the “education ecosystem,” the “startup ecosystem,” the “pop-culture ecosystem,” the “mobile ecosystem,” the “biking ecosystem,” and so forth.

Examples of ecosystem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Notwithstanding the fact that corals presence is minuscule the same shows that the ecosystem in the area in question is conducive to the corals. — Nikhil S Dixit, Quartz India, "Mumbai’s small fishing community is relieved after a $2 billion road is stalled," 14 Aug. 2019 Underwater leviathans Freshwater ecosystems are generally less studied than their marine counterparts, despite being home to a third of all vertebrate species and nearly half of all fish species worldwide. — Stefan Lovgren, National Geographic, "Earth’s largest freshwater creatures at risk of extinction," 8 Aug. 2019 Yet, what is a normal or native ecosystem at this point? — Claire Marie Porter, WIRED, "This Voracious, Unstoppable Bug Is Killing Off Vineyards," 2 Aug. 2019 Birmingham’s tech ecosystem is thriving, and Sloss Tech provides the platform where founders, startups, and technologists can hear and share new ideas, build relationships, and push the boundaries of innovation. — al, "4 festivals to attend this month, plus August events," 1 Aug. 2019 As biologists know, healthy ecosystems are robust and resilient. — Wired, "Philanthropy and the Challenge of Quantifying Success," 30 July 2019 The venture capital ecosystem is small, insularly connected, and dominated by venture capitalists who don’t reflect the diversity of many startups that seek funding. — Allyson Kapin, Quartz, "We’ve debunked tech’s “pipeline problem.” So why aren’t more women getting funding?," 24 July 2019 Apple's ecosystem is also frustrating big name developers. — Xavier Harding, Fortune, "First Fortnite, Now Tinder: How Android’s Biggest Apps Are Giving Google’s Revenue Scheme the Runaround," 22 July 2019 The Everglades ecosystem is about 5,000 square miles. — Gena Steffens, Smithsonian, "The Snakes That Ate Florida," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ecosystem.' 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 ecosystem

ecosystem

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ecosystem

: everything that exists in a particular environment

See the full definition for ecosystem in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ecosystem

noun

eco·sys·tem | \ ˈē-kō-ˌsi-stəm

, ˈe-\

Kids Definition of ecosystem

: the whole group of living and nonliving things that make up an environment and affect each other

ecosystem

noun

eco·sys·tem | \ -ˌsis-təm

Medical Definition of ecosystem

: the complex of a community and its environment functioning as an ecological unit in nature

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ecosystem

Definition of ecosystem

Other Words from ecosystem

The Environment of Ecosystem

Examples of ecosystem in a Sentence

First Known Use of ecosystem

English Language Learners Definition of ecosystem

Kids Definition of ecosystem

Medical Definition of ecosystem

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