organic

1 of 2

adjective

or·​gan·​ic ȯr-ˈga-nik How to pronounce organic (audio)
1
a(1)
: of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides
organic farming
organic produce
(2)
: of, relating to, or derived from living organisms
organic evolution
b(1)
: relating to, being, or dealt with by a branch of chemistry concerned with the carbon compounds of living beings and most other carbon compounds
studied organic chemistry in college
(2)
: of, relating to, or containing carbon compounds
organic solvents
2
a
: having systematic coordination of parts : organized
an organic whole
b
: forming an integral element of a whole : fundamental
incidental music rather than organic parts of the actionFrancis Fergusson
c
: having the characteristics of an organism : developing in the manner of a living plant or animal
society is organic
many new coinages … stem from the normal organic structure of the languageWilliam Chomsky
3
a
: of, relating to, or arising in a bodily organ
b
: affecting the structure of the organism
an organic disease
4
: of, relating to, or constituting the law by which a government or organization exists
their nation has written the separation of church and state into its organic lawPaul Blanshard
5
archaic : instrumental
organically adverb
organicity noun

organic

2 of 2

noun

: an organic substance: such as
a
: a fertilizer of plant or animal origin
b
: a pesticide whose active component is an organic compound or a mixture of organic compounds
c
: a food produced by organic farming

Examples of organic in a Sentence

Adjective He thinks of the city not as a collection of different neighborhoods but as an organic whole. This neighborhood is an organic part of the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Those figures were based on a simulation in which organic fields were spread out, maximizing the pest-control border skirmishes between organic and conventional fields. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Photo : Sonus faber The Stradivari Second Generation evolved from the original Stradivari, launched in the early 2000s, and features a wide front baffle, which is partially responsible for this speaker’s organic, natural, and full-bodied sound. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Soil and Water Easter lilies require well-draining soil with lots of organic matter and regular watering during their growing season. Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2024 The pasture and grazing are managed to return nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Paul Winters, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 More than 70 percent of the ingredients are derived from organic farming and 99.6 percent come from a natural origin. Barbara Bellesi Zito, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024 Bobbie is certified not only as USDA organic but also as European Union (EU) organic, which is a more stringent and comprehensive certification. Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 Detecting complex organic molecules in space is helping astronomers to determine the molecules’ origins as well as those of other larger cosmic molecules. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Candles may release a number of chemicals into your home, from solid and liquid particulate matter – about 25 times smaller than the width of a human hair – to gases like volatile organic compounds. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
The fact that distinct organic chemicals are consistently associated with different salts suggests that there were either several distinct ways of synthesizing the organics or that they were deposited and preserved under distinct conditions. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 12 July 2023 As the only boutique organic wasabi farm that doubles as an agri-tourism experience, Wasabi Village offers a unique journey from field to feast. Jonny Bierman, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 Szekely’s mother was vice president of the New York Vegetarian Society and fed the family a diet of raw foods, years before terms like farm-to-table and organic were commonplace. People Staff, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Trees should be cut in half and placed in the organics cart with the lid closed, or can be set curbside next to the organics cart. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Dec. 2023 Few artists blend the organic with the electronic as seamlessly and thoughtfully as Roberto Carlos Lange, known by his stage name Helado Negro. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2024 The company is also developing a system that processes residents’ black water—which includes human waste and food organics from kitchen sinks and dishwashers—into a soil amendment. Matt Simon, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2024 Ramsey County launched an organics waste pilot project last April, enrolling some 500 households in Newport, Cottage Grove, Maplewood and North St. Paul. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2024 Each sample originally consisted of a two-pound sediment block, which was chemically melted away to produce a cubic centimeter of material that was mostly pollen, but mixed with other minerals and organics. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'organic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of organic was in 1509

Dictionary Entries Near organic

Cite this Entry

“Organic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

organic

adjective
or·​gan·​ic
ȯr-ˈgan-ik
1
a
: of, relating to, or arising in a bodily organ
b
: affecting the structure of the living thing
an organic disease
2
a
: of, relating to, or obtained from living things
organic matter
b
: of, relating to, or containing carbon compounds
c
: of, relating to, or dealt with by a branch of chemistry concerned with the carbon compounds of living things and most other carbon compounds
d
: relating to, producing, dealing in, or involving foods produced with the use of feed or fertilizer obtained from plants or animals and without the use of laboratory-made fertilizers, growth substances, antibiotics, or pesticides
organic gardeners
organic food stores
3
a
: forming an important part of a whole : fundamental
b
: having the parts related together
an organic whole
organically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

Medical Definition

organic

1 of 2 adjective
or·​gan·​ic ȯr-ˈgan-ik How to pronounce organic (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or arising in a bodily organ
b
: affecting the structure of the organism
an organic disease
compare functional sense 1b
2
a(1)
: of, relating to, or derived from living organisms
(2)
: relating to, yielding, dealing in, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides
organic stores
b(1)
: of, relating to, or containing carbon compounds
(2)
: relating to, being, or dealt with by a branch of chemistry concerned with the carbon compounds of living beings and most other carbon compounds
organically adverb
organicity noun
plural organicities

organic

2 of 2 noun
: an organic substance: as
a
: a fertilizer of plant or animal origin
b
: a pesticide whose active component is an organic compound or a mixture of organic compounds
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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