Organism
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A discrete and complete living thing, such as animal, plant, fungus or microorganism.
"Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field."
- 2 a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently wordnet
- 3 Something with many separate interdependent parts, seen as being like a living thing; an organic system.
"For the first time, Edith was aware of the hotel as a well populated organism, its attendants merely resting until an appropriate occasion should summon them to present themselves […]."
- 4 a system considered analogous in structure or function to a living body wordnet
- 5 The fact of being organic; organicity. obsolete, rare
Example
More examples"The brain may be regarded as a kind of parasite of the organism, a pensioner, as it were, who dwells with the body."
Etymology
First attested in 1701; from organ + -ism, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “a tool, instrument”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“work”). Compare New Latin organismus.
Related phrases
More for "organism"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.