environmentalism

environmental +‎ -ism

environmentalism (countable and uncountable, plural environmentalisms)

1. (medicine, social sciences) A theory that views environment, rather than heredity or culture, as the important factor in the development of an individual or group.
   • 1939, Alfred L. Kroeber, “Objectives”, in 'Cultural and Natural Areas of Native North America', 1963 edition, page 1:

     The first is that the present work in no sense represents a relapse toward the old environmentalism which believed it could find the causes of culture in environment.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:environmentalism.
2. A political and social ideology that seeks to prevent the environment from degradation by human activity.

• environment
• environmentalist