ecologist

American  

[ih-kol-uh-jist, ee-kol-] / ɪˈkɒl ə dʒɪst, iˈkɒl- /

noun

1. a scientist or researcher whose field of study involves the relationships and interactions between organisms and their environment.

   Ecosystem ecologists study how nutrients, energy, and water flow through an ecosystem.

2. an environmentalist.

   Like climate change activists and ecologists around the world, I feel passionately that the issue is crucial to the long-term well-being of the human race.

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Etymology

Origin of ecologist

ecolog(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Example Sentences

On a recent tour of the Pacoima insectary, Nicolas Tremblay, a senior vector ecologist with the district, whipped out a small container filled with a handful of what looked like vitamins.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

According to study author Dr. Marcell Peters, an animal ecologist at the University of Bremen, rising temperatures could significantly disrupt insect populations, particularly in areas that host the planet's greatest biodiversity.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

While heavy winter rain is normal for the region, Prof Dave Hodgson - an ecologist at the University of Exeter's Cornwall campus - said the volume and persistence this season felt "a bit apocalyptic".

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

But in August, a documentary filmmaker, primary care physician and wildlife ecologist sued the government over that plan, claiming it was reneging on its duty to protect the horses.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

As cultural ecologist Paul Shepard has observed, The nomadic Bedouin does not dote on scenery, paint landscapes, or compile a nonutilitarian natural history..

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• biologist
• botanist
• conservationist
• environmentalist
• zoologist