community

In the social sciences, the sense of identity, purpose, and companionship that comes from belonging to a particular place, organization, or social group. The idea dominated sociological thinking in the first half of the 20th century, and inspired academic courses in community studies.

community

In ecology, an assemblage of plants, animals, and other organisms living within a circumscribed area. Communities are usually named by reference to a dominant feature such as characteristic plant species (for example, an oak-hickory community), or a prominent physical feature (for example, a freshwater-pond community).