Main Entry: syn·ecol·o·gy

Pronunciation: \ˌsi-ni-ˈkä-lə-jē, ˌsi-ne-\

Function: noun

Etymology: German Synökologie, from syn- syn- + Ökologie ecology

Date: 1910

: a branch of ecology that deals with the structure, development, and distribution of ecological communities

— syn·eco·log·i·cal \ˌsi-ˌnē-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl, ˌsi-ˌne-\ adjective