What does "ecosystem" mean?

1. (nature) all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment. 2. (business or technology) a group of businesses or products that work together and depend on each other.

How do you use "ecosystem"?

Often used with adjectives like 'fragile', 'local', or 'marine'. Commonly used in business and technology contexts to describe platform interdependency.

ecosystem

US //ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm// UK //ˈiːkəʊsˌɪstəm// ecosys·tem

1 nature (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Science

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.

Example

Pollution in the river can damage the entire local ecosystem and kill the fish.

Example

The introduction of invasive species can disrupt the delicate balance of a forest ecosystem, leading to the decline of native flora and fauna.

Usage

Often used with adjectives like 'fragile', 'local', or 'marine'.
2 business or technology (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Computing

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.

Example

Many people stay with the same phone brand because they like the app ecosystem.

Example

The company has built a vast digital ecosystem where its hardware, software, and payment services are seamlessly integrated to retain customers.

Usage

Commonly used in business and technology contexts to describe platform interdependency.

Origin

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.