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

Understand impact: Proactively research and assess the long-term societal, psychological, and ecological effects of humanoid integration, moving beyond short-term economic gains. —Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025

For Gen Alpha, many traditional professions may give way to emerging roles created in response to evolving digital, ecological, and social challenges and attitude changes. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025

Meet new plants at the L.A. River Herb Club L.A. will host a walk at 5 p.m. Sunday around the L.A. River, where guides will teach guests about native plants and their medicinal, ecological and cultural significance. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025

But their way of life continues to have advantages, including the economic benefit of raising animals on pastures with little need for supplemental feed and the ecological value of giving land time to recover between periods of grazing. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 10 May 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