autecology

noun

aut·​ecol·​o·​gy ˌȯ-ti-ˈkä-lə-jē How to pronounce autecology (audio)
ˌȯt-ē-
: ecology dealing with individual organisms or individual species of organisms
autecological
ˌȯt-ˌē-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce autecology (audio)
-ˌe-kə-
adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Autökologie, from aut- aut- + Ökologie ecology

Note: The word has been attributed to the German-born Swiss botanist Carl Schröter (1855-1939), though it does not occur in Schröter and Oskar von Kirchner's Die Vegetation des Bodensees (1. Teil 1896, 2. Teil 1902), in which the complementary term Synökologie synecology is introduced.

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of autecology was in 1910

Rhymes for autecology

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Browse Nearby Words

autecologic
autecology
Auteuil
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Cite this Entry

“Autecology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autecology. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autecology

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