ecocide

American  

[ek-uh-sahyd, ee-kuh-] / ˈɛk əˌsaɪd, ˈi kə- /

noun

1. the destruction of large areas of the natural environment by such activity as nuclear warfare, overexploitation of resources, or dumping of harmful chemicals.

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ecocide British  

/ ˈiːkəˌsaɪd, ˈɛkə- /

noun

1. total destruction of an area of the natural environment, esp by human agency

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Other Word Forms

• ecocidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of ecocide

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; eco- + -cide

Example Sentences

Araghchi described Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots as "ecocide" owing to the long-term risks to residents' health.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

In 1994 the Hollywood film “Rapa-Nui” rendered the mythical apocalypse into a technicolor epic of ecocide and cannibalism in which the Garden of Eden was destroyed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

The so-called ecocide narrative argues that deforestation led to conflict and population decline before Europeans arrived in the 18th century, turning the island into a cautionary tale about overconsumption.

From Science Daily • Feb. 10, 2026

So ecocide is just a kind of a lawyer's term for killing off the cradle of life that supports us.

From Salon • Nov. 30, 2024

In the canyon, I feel the sentimental dance of mortality, the liminal realities of facing mass death and mass ecocide.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2023