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

With our eradication of the majority of the planet’s natural ecosystems, environmental/ecological collapse could become severe enough to wipe out most or even all of the current human population. —Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026

By January 2021, the exodus began with the team’s director, followed by the termination of its ecological economist, who studied the monetary impact of natural resources. —Michael Adno, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026

That’s quite a leap of faith, given that Mayor Jerry is willing to blow up the beavers’ dam — the ecological fulcrum of the glade — and has installed tall metal trees with speakers that emit an intolerable noise only animals can hear. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026

McCulloch currently dead ends just west of the Econlockhatchee River, also known as the Econ and designated by the state as Outstanding Florida Water for its ecological importance to the region. —Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for ecological

• analogical
• astrological
• biological
• christological
• chronological
• cosmological
• cytological
• dialogical
• ethnological
• ethological
• geological
• histological