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

Portobelo, Panama Tucked along Panama’s Caribbean coast, Portobelo is a rare place where cultural heritage and ecological richness sit side by side in harmony. —Jeaninne Sanz, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025

Bees and wasps provide many ecological services, including pollinating and feeding on garden pests such as caterpillars. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025

Its immense kinetic energy was instantly converted into heat, creating a colossal explosion that carved out a crater 200 km across, wiping out the nonavian dinosaurs and creating a global ecological catastrophe that took millions of years to recover from. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025

This means that coyotes are likely performing some ecological roles that wolves never did, such as dispersing fruit seeds in their poop and suppressing populations of smaller predators. —Alex Jensen, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025

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