ecosystem
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment.
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment, functioning as a single unit.
Simple“Pollution in the river can damage the entire local ecosystem and kill the fish.”
In context“The introduction of invasive species can disrupt the delicate balance of a forest ecosystem, leading to the decline of native flora and fauna.”
UsageOften used with adjectives like 'fragile', 'local', or 'marine'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a group of businesses or products that work together and depend on each other.
a complex network or interconnected system of people, organisations, or services that interact like a biological community.
Simple“Many people stay with the same phone brand because they like the app ecosystem.”
In context“The company has built a vast digital ecosystem where its hardware, software, and payment services are seamlessly integrated to retain customers.”
UsageCommonly used in business and technology contexts to describe platform interdependency.
Synonyms
Usage ecosystems to function
From eco- + system. Coined by English botanist Arthur Tansley in 1935 in a paper titled The Use and Abuse of Vegetational Concepts in the journal Ecology.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.