What does "organic" mean?
An organic compound.
Organic
/ɔɹˈɡænɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An organic compound.
- Grammar: organic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: anatomic, animate, architectonic, architectural.
- Useful contrasts: abiotic community, abiotic community dynamics, abiotic community indicators.
- Usage evidence: Organic vegetables are popular because they're safe and tasty.
How to use "organic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "organic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "organic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "organic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "organic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "organic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anatomic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "organic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An organic compound.
- 2 a fertilizer that is derived from animal or vegetable matter wordnet
- 3 An organic food.
- 4 A living organism, as opposed to a robot or hologram.
"Pitiful organics."
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to or derived from living organisms.
- 2 Pertaining to an organ of the body of a living organism.
- 3 Relating to the compounds of carbon, relating to natural products.
- 4 Of food or food products, grown in an environment free from artificial agrichemicals, and possibly certified by a regulatory body.
- 5 Describing a form of social solidarity theorized by Emile Durkheim that is characterized by voluntary engagements in complex interdependencies for mutual benefit (such as business agreements), rather than mechanical solidarity, which depends on ascribed relations between people (as in a family or tribe).
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Of a military unit or formation, or its elements, belonging to a permanent organization (in contrast to being temporarily attached).
"Socially, the term “organic” unit implies a military force characterized by relatively high cohesion, overlapping primary groups and a certain sense of shared past."
- 7 Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to a certain destined function or end.
"those organic arts which enable men to discourse and write perspicuously"
- 8 Generated according to the ranking algorithms of a search engine, as opposed to deliberate promotional techniques e.g. by advertisers. Internet
"According to a recent survey by Jupiter Research, 80 percent of Web users get information from organic search results."
- 9 Developing in a gradual or natural fashion.
"The writing of the script was an organic process."
- 10 Harmonious; coherent; structured.
"The production came together in an organic whole."
Adjective
- 1 constitutional in the structure of something (especially your physical makeup) wordnet
- 2 involving or affecting physiology or bodily organs wordnet
- 3 simple and healthful and close to nature wordnet
- 4 relating or belonging to the class of chemical compounds having a carbon basis wordnet
- 5 being or relating to or derived from or having properties characteristic of living organisms wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 of or relating to foodstuff grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones wordnet
Antonyms
abiotic communityabiotic community dynamicsabiotic community indicatorsabiotic material
Example
"Organic vegetables are popular because they're safe and tasty."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "organic"?
Common synonyms include: anatomic, animate, architectonic, architectural, atavistic, authentic.
How do you use "organic" in a sentence?
Organic vegetables are popular because they're safe and tasty.
How do you pronounce "organic"?
Pronounced /ɔɹˈɡænɪk/.
Etymology
From Middle English organic, organik, from Old French organique, from Latin organicus.