organism

noun or·gan·ism \ ˈȯr-gə-ˌni-zəm \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of organism

1 : a complex structure of interdependent and subordinate elements whose relations and properties are largely determined by their function in the whole

the nation is not merely the sum of individual citizens at any given time, but it is a living organism, a mystical body … of which the individual is an ephemeral part
—Joseph Rossi

2 : an individual constituted to carry on the activities of life by means of parts or organs more or less separate in function but mutually dependent : a living being

a multicellular organism

—

organismic

play \ˌȯr-gə-ˈniz-mik\ or less commonly organismal play \ˌȯr-gə-ˈniz-məl\ adjective

—

organismically

play \ˌȯr-gə-ˈniz-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See organism defined for English-language learners

See organism defined for kids

Examples of organism in a Sentence

A human being is a complex organism.

Recent Examples of organism from the Web

This may sound ambitious, but at least one natural organism, a bacterium called Deinococcus radiodurans, has a DNA-repair mechanism that can rebuild genes correctly after heavy exposure to radiation.

— The Economist, "Colonising the galaxy is hard. Why not send bacteria instead?," 12 Apr. 2018
Support comes from data on a range of organisms, which show an inverse relationship between mutation rate and ancient population size.

— elizabeth pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Why microbes are better than people at keeping DNA mutations at bay," 11 Apr. 2018
For people who are really into classifying organisms, Taxonomy Tuesday is a thing.

— melinda morris, NOLA.com, "Meet the newest member of the crawfish family: the Hillbilly Hairy Crayfish," 10 Apr. 2018
The Democratic and Republican parties, the world’s second- and third-oldest parties, have been amazingly resilient — yes, and loud — political organisms, adaptive and roughly balancing each other out.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "Both political parties are more dysfunctional than Trump White House," 21 Mar. 2018
Professor Ed Hill, Executive Director of the National Oceanography Centre, said in a statement that the report showed more research was required to understand the effect plastic pollution is having on marine organisms.

— lauren said-moorhouse, CNN, "Ocean plastic predicted to triple within a decade," 21 Mar. 2018
The wreck in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta had what appeared to be marks indicating fire damage, but the review showed those marks actually were caused by wood-eating marine organisms, the statement said.

— CBS News, "Wreckage not last ship to bring slaves to United States, investigation finds," 5 Mar. 2018
The cells contain a parasite related to a modern species commonly carried by ticks, shedding light on the entwined history of our ancestors and the organisms that preyed on them.

— nathaniel scharping, Discover Magazine, "Amber Preserves Tick’s Last Supper," 1 Feb. 2018
All that carbon dioxide is triggering chemical reactions that is turning the oceans more acidic, which in turn is making life tough for lots of marine organisms.

— eric niiler, WIRED, "Ocean Acidification Could Be a Net Positive for Some Fish," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'organism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.