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

But the famous body of water is rapidly shrinking as scientists sound the alarm about an unfolding ecological disaster. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 27 May 2026

The California Retailers Association (CRA) has been acting as both a voice and a resource for the industry throughout the development of these new social and ecological standards. —Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 26 May 2026

The loss of ecological complexity, along with a salmon population that is increasingly raised in hatcheries, resulting in less diversity in both genetics and behavior, has allowed a pattern of boom-bust cycles that can leave the fishery struggling during droughts and marine heat waves. —Eric Palkovacs, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

The disarmament thus takes place as an ecological project, one that situates AI within the broad sweep of human culture and that orients it towards human flourishing, not toward warfare, monopolistic power, or new inequalities. —Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 25 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for ecological

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