ecologically

Ecologically is an adverb describing actions, conditions, or perspectives in relation to ecology—the science of how organisms interact with each other and their environment. It denotes that a description should be understood in terms of ecological relationships, ecosystem processes, and the sustainability of natural systems. The term is the adverbial form of ecological, whose root word ecology refers to the study of living systems and their connections.

Ecology was coined by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel in 1866, from Greek oikos (house, environment) and logos (study). Ecological and ecologically derive from that root. In scientific writing, ecologically is common when evaluating phenomena through an ecosystem lens, for example, ecologically intact habitats, ecologically sustainable development, or ecologically valid research (referring to real-world contexts). In policy and media, ecologically is often paired with terms like sustainable or sound to signal attention to ecological relationships rather than only to human-centered impacts; in everyday usage, it is sometimes used interchangeably with environmentally, though nuance can differ.

Related terms include ecology, ecological, ecological footprint, and ecological balance.

Examples illustrate usage: The project was designed to be ecologically sustainable, minimizing disruption to local wetlands. Researchers evaluated outcomes ecologically, considering how changes affected species interactions and habitat structure.