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

This is the sort of ecological abundance that has long attracted travelers to the Amazon River, South America's liquid spine and one of the last refuges for jaguars in the world. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026

For a species that appears to occupy a narrow ecological niche — moist leaf litter in a transitional forest zone near seasonal streams — even small shifts in land cover at the park’s edges could squeeze its range. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026

The rediscovery drew on fossils, museum specimens, Indigenous ecological knowledge, wildlife photography shared on a public platform, and years of professional research. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026

This structural diversity suggests that evolution has modified the organ under different ecological conditions. —Lilia Goncharova, The Conversation, 9 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