What does organism mean?
An organism is any living thing considered as a distinct biological unit. The word applies to people, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms, and other forms of life, and it is especially common in scientific and educational contexts. Its basic sense emphasizes that an organism is both an individual and a functioning whole: its cells, tissues, organs, and other parts operate together to sustain life. The word can also be used more broadly for an organized system whose parts depend on one another, as when a society or economy is described as an organism. Such figurative uses carry connotations of interdependence, order, and ongoing activity rather than suggesting a humanlike intelligence. “Organism” is therefore more abstract and technical than the everyday term “living thing,” while remaining more general than terms such as “species,” “individual,” or “cell.” It is useful when discussing life as a biological unit or examining how complex systems function as integrated wholes.
nounA living thing, such as a plant, animal, fungus, bacterium, or other form of life, regarded as a distinct biological unit. By extension, it can refer to a complex entity whose parts function together as an integrated whole.
- A living thing regarded as a distinct biological unit.
- A complex system whose constituent parts function together as an integrated whole.
"The scientist examined how each organism adapts to changes in its environment."
"Every organism in the sample carried the same genetic mutation."
"Historians sometimes describe the economy as an organism that responds to external pressures."
The regular plural is organisms, used for multiple individuals or for living things considered collectively.
"Some organisms thrive in extreme environments."
Its name combines Greek organon, meaning “tool” or “instrument,” with the suffix -ism: a living body that operates as an integrated biological whole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does organism come from?
Organism derives from Greek organon, meaning “tool,” “instrument,” or “organized structure,” combined with the suffix -ism. The English word emerged in the early nineteenth century as biology developed into a distinct scientific discipline. Its relatives include organ, organic, and organize, all of which preserve the same Greek root in different semantic and grammatical forms.
Related word forms
How organism is actually used
The term is chiefly formal and scientific. In biology it usually denotes an individual living entity, while its broader metaphorical use emphasizes the interdependence of parts within a functioning system.
Easily confused with organism
An organism is a living thing, whereas an organ is a specialized body part that performs a particular function.
An organism is a living entity or self-contained system, whereas an organization is an institutionally structured group of people.