organization

American  

[awr-guh-nuh-zey-shuhn] / ˌɔr gə nəˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, organisation

noun

1. the act or process of organizing.

2. the state or manner of being organized.

3. something that is organized.

4. organic structure; composition.

   The organization of this painting is quite remarkable.

5. a group of persons organized for some end or work; association.

   a nonprofit organization.

6. the administrative personnel or apparatus of a business.

7. the functionaries of a political party along with the offices, committees, etc., that they fill.

8. an organism.

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adjective

1. of or relating to an organization.

2. Informal. conforming entirely to the standards, rules, or demands of an organization, especially that of one's employer.

   an organization mentality.

organization British  

/ ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of organizing or the state of being organized

2. an organized structure or whole

3. a business or administrative concern united and constructed for a particular end

4. a body of administrative officials, as of a political party, a government department, etc

5. order or system; method

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Other Word Forms

• antiorganization noun
• misorganization noun
• nonorganization noun
• organizational adjective
• organizationally adverb
• preorganization noun
• suborganization noun
• superorganization noun
• underorganization noun

Etymology

Origin of organization

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English organizacion, from Medieval Latin organizātiōn-, stem of organizātiō, equivalent to organizāt(us) “arranged” (past participle of organizāre “to contrive, arrange”; see organize) + -iō -ion

Explanation

An organization is a group of people who work together, like a neighborhood association, a charity, a union, or a corporation. You can use the word organization to refer to group or business, or to the act of forming or establishing something. It can also refer to a structure for classifying things or to a system of arrangement or order. When your English teacher tells you you need to work on the organization of your essay, she's using this last meaning. This word derives from an Old French verb meaning "to combine into an orderly whole."

Example Sentences

The organization is working to strengthen the scientific evidence, increase awareness among doctors and rare disease groups, and support systems that ensure patients are properly identified and treated as research continues.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

The attacks against AI figureheads have no demonstrable ties to one another, nor do they claim affiliation with any shared organization.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

The agency—a secretive organization whose mandate includes counterespionage—urged young people to stay vigilant, work hard and reject trends like “lying flat.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Real earnings, including overtime and bonuses, routinely exceed the $48,000 to $55,000 range and jobs have good insurance benefits with room to grow, according to the organization.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

The National Socialist Bond, the quisling organization of Holland, grew larger and bolder with each month of occupation.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• association
• body
• business
• circle
• club
• company
• consortium
• cooperative
• corporation
• establishment
• federation
• industry
• institute
• institution
• league
• party
• society
• team
• union