Meaning & use
geology
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
The science that studies the rocks, minerals, and layers of the Earth and how they formed and changed over time.
Grammar: Used without a: she studies geology.
Patterns
- study geology
- a geology course
She decided to study geology after hiking through the canyon.
Geology explains why mountains rise and valleys sink.
Our geology class visited a quarry to collect fossils.
nounsingular
The rocks and structure of a particular place or area, taken as a whole.
Grammar: Used with the and of: the geology of the island.
Patterns
- the geology of something
The geology of the island is mostly volcanic rock.
Engineers studied the local geology before building the tunnel.
The region's geology makes drilling very difficult.
Word forms
| plural | geologies |
|---|
Common combinations
- study geology
- He plans to study geology at university.
- the local geology
- The local geology determines where the wells can be dug.
- a geology professor
- A geology professor led the field trip.
- marine geology
- Marine geology studies the rocks of the ocean floor.
- underlying geology
- The underlying geology explains the area's hot springs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- earth science
- Earth science is a wider field that also includes weather and oceans, while geology focuses on rocks and the solid Earth.
- geoscience
- Geoscience is a broader modern term covering geology and related fields.
- petrology
- Petrology is a narrower branch that deals only with the origin and makeup of rocks.
Word family
- geologist noun
- a scientist who studies the Earth's rocks
- geological adjective
- relating to geology or the Earth's structure
- geologic adjective
- a variant of geological, common in American writing
- geologically adverb
- in a way relating to geology
Commonly confused: geology or geography?
geology vs geography
Geography studies places, climates, and human activity on the Earth's surface, while geology studies what the Earth is made of and its history.
Practice
Which person would most likely study geology?
Choose one answer.
Geology is the study of the Earth's rocks and their history. Maps of cities, weather forecasts, and ocean chemistry belong to other fields.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “geology”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.