ecocide
1 synonym for ecocide, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The wholesale destruction of an ecosystem caused by human activity, such as exploiting resources, nuclear warfare or dumping harmful chemicals.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
geocide
How to use ecocide
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
commit ecocide
acts of ecocide
criminalise ecocide
large-scale ecocide
It is a serious, formal word, mostly found in environmental, legal and campaigning contexts.
Etymology
Formed by joining the prefix eco- to the suffix -cide, which denotes killing or destruction. The American plant biologist Arthur Galston coined the word in 1969 to describe the deliberate wrecking of the environment through the use of Agent Orange.
Full origin of ecocide →Frequently asked questions
What does ecocide mean?
Ecocide means the large-scale destruction of an ecosystem or natural environment through human action.
Who coined the word ecocide?
The plant biologist Arthur Galston coined it in 1969, originally to describe the environmental damage caused by the chemical defoliant Agent Orange.
Is ecocide a legal crime?
The grounding text does not state that ecocide is a legal crime; it describes the word as a term for large-scale environmental destruction.
