ecosystem

noun

eco·​sys·​tem ˈē-kō-ˌsi-stəm 

ˈe-kō-

plural ecosystems

1

: the complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological unit

That influx of fresh water alters the ocean's salinity near the seafloor, a factor that influences the makeup of the ecosystems in those places.

—Sid Perkins

Global warming, if it proceeds as many scientists predict, threatens to undo decades of conservation work and could mean the destruction of the monarch butterfly, the edelweiss, the polar bear and innumerable other species living in fragile ecosystems, an emerging body of scientific evidence suggests.

—William K. Stevens

2

: something (such as a network of businesses) considered to resemble an ecological ecosystem especially because of its complex interdependent parts

Newspaper layoffs have ripple effects for the entire local news ecosystem because, as the Congressional Research Service noted, television, radio and online outlets often "piggyback on reporting done by much larger newspaper staffs."

—David Sirota

Lots of Walmart customers are underserved by banks and other financial institutions, [Daniel] Eckert says; the company's experiments with finance-related products and services help customers "not only save money but also have access to a financial ecosystem they were crowded out from."

—Rob Walker

ecosystemic

ˌē-kō-si-ˈste-mik 

ˌe-kō-

adjective

The Amazon invariably evokes superlatives and often hyperbole. Stock images such as river dimensions and biotic variety are now joined with notions of forest biomass and ecosystemic complexity.

—Kent Mathewson

The women of Sex and the City occasionally argued, sure, but their ecosystemic purpose—to be there for their friends as they date and search and marry—was always extremely clear.

—Megan Garber

Did you know?

The Environment of Ecosystem

For the now-ubiquitous prefix eco-, we can thank the great German zoologist Ernst Haeckel, who in 1866 coined the term oekologie from the Greek oikos, meaning “home, place to live.” Haeckel was thinking primarily of the “homes” of animals, but by the time the word translated into English in 1875 (initially spelled “oecology”), its meaning had broadened to embrace plant habitats as well. The related term ecosystem was proposed by the British botanist Arthur Tansley, 60 years after one of his own professors first translated Haeckel’s oekologie. It may have been ecosystem, which treats eco- as a prefix to a standard English word, that gave English speakers permission to do the same in coining a host of other terms: ecosphere, ecotour, eco-friendly, and all the rest. Meanwhile, ecosystem itself has been appropriated freely in all kinds of contexts well removed from the natural environment: the “app ecosystem,” the “education ecosystem,” the “startup ecosystem,” the “pop-culture ecosystem,” the “mobile ecosystem,” the “biking ecosystem,” and so forth.

Examples of ecosystem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The center started its study in Michigan by meeting with local scientists, government officials, businesses and residents, who then helped to identify what was valuable in an ecosystem and the threats to those values. —Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 20 Apr. 2024

But the series could have examined how such unequal dynamics can influence young people’s behavior in an ecosystem as insular as children’s programming, and considered the possibility that Peck’s manipulation extended further. —Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024

Spencer recently said in an interview with Polygon that the Xbox team is thinking about how to open up its ecosystem and embrace PC stores like the Epic Games Store and Itch.io. —Tom Warren, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024

The loss of these creatures is felt not only by their surrounding ecosystems but also by scientists. —Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024

Dust devils are a common wind phenomenon that happen around the world and are more frequent in desert ecosystems, according to the National Weather Service. —Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024

The National Park Service expects renovation to begin on the Rock Creek Park Golf Course late this year, despite community concerns that plans including the removal of 1,100 trees will damage the park’s ecosystem, threaten animals’ habitat and reduce tree canopy. —Joe Heim, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024

These flying mammals play a vital role in Indiana’s ecosystem and even its economy. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Apr. 2024

Coral bleaching does not necessarily mean corals will die, according to NOAA, which noted that corals can recuperate if the strain on their ecosystems is reduced. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ecosystem

noun

eco·​sys·​tem ˈē-kō-ˌsis-təm 

ˈek-ō-

: a system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions

Medical Definition

ecosystem

noun

eco·​sys·​tem -ˌsis-təm 

: the complex of a community and its environment functioning as an ecological unit in nature