ecological
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
relating to the scientific study of how living things interact with their environment.
pertaining to the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
Simple“The oil spill caused an ecological disaster that affected thousands of birds.”
In context“The researchers conducted an ecological survey to determine how the new dam would affect the local fish population and water quality.”
UsageOften used to describe large-scale systems or scientific research.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
designed to protect the environment or not cause damage to nature.
characterised by a lack of harmful effects on the environment; often used as a synonym for 'green' or 'eco-friendly'.
Simple“Many people are switching to ecological cleaning products to reduce water pollution.”
In context“The company has committed to more ecological manufacturing processes to meet the growing demand for sustainable consumer goods.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“Carrying roughly 800,000 barrels of Russian crude, the vessel ran aground near a marine reserve, raising fears of a severe ecological crisis.”
“While dinosaurs kept mammals from becoming large, small mammals may have returned the favor by occupying ecological niches that could otherwise have supported mouse-sized dinosaurs.”
From ecology + -ical.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.