ecocide

noun

eco·​cide ˈē-kə-ˌsīd How to pronounce ecocide (audio)
ˈe-,
-(ˌ)kō-
: the destruction of large areas of the natural environment as a consequence of human activity
ecocidal
ˌē-kə-ˈsī-dᵊl How to pronounce ecocide (audio)
ˌe-
-(ˌ)kō-
adjective

Examples of ecocide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Regardless of whether the charge of ecocide applies to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, the environmental impact, the spread of disease, and other harmful health impairments will be felt for years to come. Lesley Joseph, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2025 Those outsize impacts add up to why Salle has dubbed the vessels a form of ecocide. Eva Roytburg, Fortune Europe, 9 June 2024 According to the ‘ecocide’ theory, the Rapanui people used up all their resources to move and build these statues, depleting the island of its native animals and vegetation. Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024 Last February, Ukraine became the first country to formally lodge allegations of ecocide at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2024 In 2021, lawyers proposed codifying ecocide into international criminal law, putting it on par with genocide. Eva Roytburg, Fortune Europe, 9 June 2024 The first three films featured a then-unknown Mel Gibson, who originated the titular role of Max Rockatansky, a police officer in a near-future Australia experiencing societal collapse due to depletion of resources, nuclear war, and ecocide. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 May 2024 The International Tribunal for the Rights of Nature called for the immediate suspension of the project in March 2023, alleging crimes of ecocide and ethnocide. Laura Sanders, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Dec. 2023 Prosecute war criminals and agents of corporate ecocide. Evan Minsker, Pitchfork, 5 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

eco- + -cide

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ecocide was in 1969

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ecocide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecocide. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!