noun
ecosystem
EE-koh-sihs-tuhm
noun
1
A community of living things together with the physical environment they interact with.
"Coral reefs support one of the richest ecosystems on Earth."
2
A network of interconnected people, companies, or products that function together like a natural ecosystem.
"Apple has built a tightly connected ecosystem of devices and services."
How to Use Ecosystem
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA self-contained system of living things and their surroundings — or, more loosely, any tightly connected network of people, products, or businesses.
Common pairings
fragile ecosystem
business ecosystem
app ecosystem
Word Forms
ecosystems plural
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Coral reefs support one of the richest _____ on Earth.
Etymology
Coined in 1935 by the English botanist Arthur Tansley from "eco-" plus "system," describing how living organisms and their environment function as one connected whole.