Meaning & use

ecology

noun·Academic

The scientific study of how living things interact with each other and their environment.

See it in a sentence

The university's ecology course examined how wolves affect deer populations in the region.

Researchers studying coral reef ecology warned that rising ocean temperatures threaten entire ecosystems.

A note on using this word

Ecology studies relationships within nature, whereas 'environment' more broadly refers to surroundings themselves.

Words with a similar meaning

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