environmentalism

noun

en·​vi·​ron·​men·​tal·​ism in-ˌvī-rə(n)-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm 

-ˌvī(-ə)r(n)-

1

: a political and social movement focused on the preservation, restoration, and improvement of the natural environment

I urge the community to renew our commitment to environmentalism by focusing on the defining issue of our generation: global warming.

—Dan Wolk

She had embraced environmentalism as a college student, then worked with various NGOs to reduce China's air and water pollution …

—Lin Yang

Here in the heavy industry heartland of Colombia, environmentalism has old roots and has endured through decades of violence and intimidation.

—Fatima Garcia Elena

2

dated : a theory that views environment rather than heredity as the important factor in the development and especially the cultural and intellectual development of an individual or group

… an extreme environmentalism developed in psychology and anthropology which minimized, if not denied altogether, any genetic contribution to the differences among human individuals.

—Ernst Mayr

Examples of environmentalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From the start, its founder, Yvon Chouinard, has oriented its business leaders and their decisions around the company’s values of environmentalism and social good. —Swapna Sathyan, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Her work also surrounded many charitable causes, including raising money for Lou Gehrig's disease research, fighting poverty, and supporting social justice and environmentalism. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024

In a market that increasingly emphasizes flexibility, durability, and environmentalism, companies that make the shift from static offerings to products that grow will position themselves for success. —Vijay Govindarajan, tojin T. Eapen, daniel J. Finkenstadt, Harvard Business Review, 1 Nov. 2024

The Extracurricular production company, founded in 2021 by Yousafzai, saw the value and potential of the film’s universal themes of environmentalism and empowerment. —Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing environmentalism

• anti-environmentalism

Kids Definition

environmentalism

noun

en·​vi·​ron·​men·​tal·​ism -ˌvī-rən-ˈment-ᵊl-ˌi-zəm 

-ˌvī(-ə)rn-

: the act or process of preserving, restoring, or improving the natural environment

Medical Definition

environmentalism

noun

en·​vi·​ron·​men·​tal·​ism -ˌvī-rən-ˈment-ᵊl-ˌiz-əm, -ˌvī(-ə)rn- 

: a theory that views environment rather than heredity as the important factor in the development and especially the cultural and intellectual development of an individual or group