ecological
Britishadjective
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of or relating to ecology
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(of a practice, policy, product, etc) tending to benefit or cause minimal damage to the environment
Other Word Forms
- ecologically adverb
Explanation
Anything ecological relates to the science of ecology, which is the study of how living things and the environment do their thing. If you're interested in issues like preserving rain forests, saving endangered species, and keeping drinking water safe, you're interested in ecological issues. Ecological things have to do with how plants and animals relate to each other, in good and bad ways, in specific environments — from the impact of floods on river insects to how smog harms humans. Just about anything people do has an ecological impact — for better or worse.
Vocabulary lists containing ecological
The Omnivore's Dilemma
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The Modern Period, c. 1750 to c. 1914
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5.3: The First Industrial Revolution (Sources 1–7)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sedimentation is known to have "profound negative ecological consequences", Reid added.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Citing a "risk of impact on nearby nature areas", the port said it was "doing everything possible to minimise both operational and ecological damage".
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Balancing ecological and economic interests is not just a “nice idea” – it’s shown to be good business.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
Sunbirds fill a similar ecological role in Africa as hummingbirds do in the Americas.
From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026
Many historical calamities, from deadly wars to ecological catastrophes, have resulted from this over-hasty jump.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
