organism

[ awr-guh-niz-uhm ]

noun

1. a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes.
2. a form of life considered as an entity; an animal, plant, fungus, protistan, or moneran.
3. any organized organized body or system conceived of as analogous to a living being:

   the governmental organism.

4. any complex thing or system having properties and functions determined not only by the properties and relations of its individual parts, but by the character of the whole that they compose and by the relations of the parts to the whole.

   Synonyms: structure, entity, network, organization

organism

/ ˈɔːɡəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. any living biological entity, such as an animal, plant, fungus, or bacterium
2. anything resembling a living creature in structure, behaviour, etc

organism

/ ôr′gə-nĭz′əm /

1. An individual form of life that is capable of growing, metabolizing nutrients, and usually reproducing. Organisms can be unicellular or multicellular. They are scientifically divided into five different groups (called kingdoms) that include prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals, and that are further subdivided based on common ancestry and homology of anatomic and molecular structures.

Derived Forms

• ˌorganˈismally, adverb
• ˌorganˈismal, adjective

Other Words From

• organ·ismic organ·ismal adjective
• organ·ismi·cal·ly adverb
• super·organ·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of organism¹

First recorded in 1655–65; organ + -ism

Example Sentences

That mRNA is read and translated at a cell's ribosome to create more proteins, important for the chemical and physical function of every organism.

From Science Daily

Up until recently, habituation -- a simple form of learning -- was deemed the exclusive domain of complex organisms with brains and nervous systems, such as worms, insects, birds, and mammals.

From Science Daily

Tests with other organisms showed that the method can even replicate the root structure of fungi, called hyphae.

From Science Daily

Many living organisms are able to regenerate damaged or lost tissue, but why some are particularly good at this and others are not is not fully understood.

From Science Daily

Living organisms enjoy sunlight -- in fact, many need it to stay alive -- but they tend to avoid light that is too bright.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• animal
• creature
• structure