Ecological

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌiːkəˈlɒd͡ʒɪkl̩/

Definitions

1. Relating to the interactions between living organisms and their physical environment, including the relationships among species and their surroundings
2. Pertaining to the study of relationships among organisms and their environment, as well as the impact of these interactions on various ecosystems
3. Concerning the connections between living entities and their habitats, encompassing biodiversity and environmental health overall

Etymology: Ecology came first. German biologist Ernst Haeckel coined "Ökologie" in 1866, and the adjective followed from that noun by adding the suffix "-ical," an English form of the Latin "-icus" that turns a noun into a related adjective. Its ancestry runs back through Old French and Latin to Greek roots, but the word itself is a modern construction built on top of the noun. The suffix chain is worth a closer look. "-ical" is a doubled ending: "-ic" came into Middle English from Old French "-ique" (from Latin "-icus", ultimately from Greek "-ikos"), and "-al" came from Old French "-al" (from Latin "-alis"). English speakers combined the two, producing forms like "political," "musical," and "physical," so "ecological" follows a pattern many older English adjectives share. The meaning is narrower than the word's shape suggests. "Ecology" names the study of how living things relate to one another and to their surroundings, so "ecological" originally described that field of study. Over time it broadened to describe the relationships themselves and the living environments involved.

Synonyms: environmental, biological, natural, sustainable, ecosystemic

Antonyms: artificial, unnatural, toxic, polluting, harmful