organic
adjective
or·gan·ic
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Definition of organic
(Entry 1 of 2)
2a
: of, relating to, or arising in a bodily organ
b
: affecting the structure of the organism
an organic disease
3a(1)
: of, relating to, or derived from living organisms
organic evolution
(2)
: 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
b(1)
: of, relating to, or containing carbon compounds
organic solvents
(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
studied organic chemistry in college
4a
: forming an integral element of a whole : fundamental
incidental music rather than organic parts of the action— Francis Fergusson
b
: having systematic coordination of parts : organized
an organic whole
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 language— William Chomsky
5
: 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 law— Paul Blanshard
organic
nounDefinition of organic (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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
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Other Words from organic
Adjective
organically
\ ȯr-ˈga-ni-k(ə-)lē
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adverb
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adverb
organicity
\ ˌȯr-gə-ˈni-sə-tē
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noun
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noun
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
But e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless and can expose consumers to substances known to damage health, including ultra-fine particles, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and other harmful ingredients. — Washington Post, "Lung illness tied to vaping has killed 5 people as new case reports surge," 7 Sep. 2019 But e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless and can expose consumers to substances known to damage health, including ultra-fine particles, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and other harmful ingredients. — Anchorage Daily News, "Lung illness tied to vaping has killed five people, may be a new ‘worrisome’ disease, officials say," 7 Sep. 2019 The mountains get their name for the foggy haze that hangs in the air, a result of moisture and organic compounds emitted by the thick vegetation, including more than 100 species of trees and 100 species of shrubs. — James Lynch, Popular Mechanics, "The Very Best National Parks You Need to Visit," 5 Sep. 2019 The statement points to other existing regulation that limit the leaking of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — or compounds that easily turn into vapor or gas — that are still in effect, and argues those regulations would protect against methane. — Madeleine Carlisle, Time, "The Trump Administration Just Loosened Methane Emissions Rules. Here's What To Know," 31 Aug. 2019 On a molecular level, all dietary protein is made up of tiny organic compounds called amino acids—hundreds or thousands of them linked together, the FDA explains. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Does It Make a Difference if You Get Your Protein from Plants or Animals?," 28 Aug. 2019 In addition to chemical exposure through application to the scalp, the inhalation of some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during shampoo use is also worrying. — Olivia Fleming, Harper's BAZAAR, "Clean Hair Care Is Hard—But Not Impossible," 12 Aug. 2019 The study shows how the chemical ingredients of pollution — including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, black carbon, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds — react with each other and sunlight to create the deadly drift of PM2.5 and ozone. — John Fialka, Scientific American, "Reducing China’s CO2 Emissions Would Curb Deadly Air Pollution in the U.S.," 26 July 2019 Like the larger Awair products, the Glow C can measure temperature, humidity, and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs (but not carbon dioxide, which the first model did detect). — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "Awair’s Glow C combines a smart plug, air sensor, and nightlight in one," 24 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Trumbo, in particular, would like to search for any organics that might have spilled onto the surface along with the salt. — Shannon Hall, Scientific American, "Water on Europa—with a Pinch of Salt," 12 June 2019 And Reno’s neighborhoods are reinventing themselves into a celebration of everything local, from organics to art. — Erin E. Williams, Twin Cities, "Stunning vistas, modern museums, quirky shops make Reno a favorite for tourists," 22 June 2019 The agency detected volatile organics in the air, but not at dangerous levels. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Frustrated by months of silence, leaders to hold meeting on Winton Terrace air quality," 12 Dec. 2018 Groundwater does not contain the organics that surface waters do and is less prone to produce TTHMs when chlorinated, according to Knudson. — Raquel Baier, azcentral, "Excessive contaminant in water resolved, say Chandler officials," 4 June 2019 Carla Vernon, president of General Mills’ natural and organics business, including the Annie’s brand, said Thursday that the cereal giant understands the potential perils of folding smaller brands into a big company. — Annie Gasparro, WSJ, "Food Executives Look to Better Integrate Smaller Brands," 29 Sep. 2018 Then the scientists sifted through the results to figure out what might be genuine Martian organics. — Kenneth Chang, New York Times, "Life on Mars? Rover’s Latest Discovery Puts It ‘On the Table’," 7 June 2018 Jennifer Eigenbrode, an astrobiologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland who led the organics study, said she's intrigued by the possibility that life might have existed and adapted on Mars. — Marcia Dunn, chicagotribune.com, "New Mars discoveries in ancient lakebed advance case for possible life," 7 June 2018 The Stardust recovery mission found organics and glycine - one of the simplest amino acids. — Jamie Seidel, Fox News, "Wild new alien theory emerges," 28 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'organic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for organic
organic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of organic
of food
: grown or made without the use of artificial chemicals
: not using artificial chemicals
: of, relating to, or obtained from living things
See the full definition for organic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
organic
adjective
or·gan·ic
| \ ȯr-ˈga-nik
\
\
Kids Definition of organic
1
: relating to or obtained from living things
organic matter
2
: relating to carbon compound