ecology

IPA/iˈkɒlədʒi/
KK[ɪkˈɑlədʒi]IPA/iˈkɑːlədʒi/

ecology — noun

1. the relationship between living things and the environment they live in, or the

1.nounB2
Definition

the relationship between living things and the environment they live in, or the branch of science that examines this relationship

Example

Kian is studying the ecology of the island's coastal forests.

collocation: study + ecology of [place]

The oil spill caused serious damage to the ecology of the river.

ecology as the system of natural relationships

Common collocations
  • study ecology
  • ecology of [place]
  • marine ecology
  • forest ecology
  • damage the ecology
  • protect the ecology
  • local ecology
Synonyms
  • ecosystem

    more specific — refers to a particular community of living things and their physical environment as a single unit

  • environment

    broader — includes only the physical surroundings, not the relationships between organisms

  • nature

    much broader and less scientific — refers to the whole natural world, not the study of its systems

Grammar Patterns

ecology + of [place]

study + ecology

Usage Note

Often used with 'of' to indicate the location or system being examined (e.g., the ecology of the rainforest). The meaning can lean toward 'the system of natural relationships' or 'the scientific study of that system' depending on context — the former when describing damage, change, or protection; the latter when paired with 'study,' 'research,' or 'course.'

Common Mistakes

The ecology of this city is heavily polluted.
The environment of this city is heavily polluted.
'Ecology' refers to the web of relationships between living things and their surroundings, not simply the physical surroundings themselves.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Ecology, ecosystem, environment, nature, and biology occupy different levels of specificity. Ecology focuses on the dynamic relationships between organisms and their surroundings — it is both a scientific discipline and the network of connections itself. An ecosystem is a specific, bounded unit within that network (a pond, a forest, a coral reef), studied as a whole. Environment is a broader, less relational term: it refers to the physical conditions and surroundings without implying interaction between components. Nature covers the entire non-human world — mountains, weather, wildlife — but lacks scientific precision. Biology is the wider study of all life processes, not only those involving environmental interaction. For instance: 'The biologist studies cells; the ecologist studies how those cells' organism interacts with its habitat.'

ecosystem ↗environment ↗nature ↗biology ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ecology department
  • ecology research
  • ecology course
  • marine ecology
  • forest ecology

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the ecology of [place]
  • damage to the ecology
  • protect the ecology

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekGermanEnglish

The word 'ecology' was coined in 1866 by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel. He combined the Greek 'oikos' (house, dwelling, or household) with '-logia' (the study of). His idea was that nature functions like a shared household, where every living thing has a place and a role. The term entered English in the 1870s and has since expanded from a narrow scientific label to a word used in everyday discussions about the environment.