Main Entry: ekis·tics

Pronunciation: \i-ˈkis-tiks\

Function: noun plural but singular in construction

Etymology: Modern Greek oikistikē, from feminine of oikistikos of settlement, from Greek, from oikizein to settle, colonize, from oikos house — more at vicinity

Date: 1958

: a science dealing with human settlements and drawing on the research and experience of professionals in various fields (as architecture, engineering, city planning, and sociology)

— ekis·tic \-tik\ adjective