organic

or-GAN-ik/ɔɹˈɡænɪk/UKaw-GAN-ik/ɔːˈɡænɪk/

13 meanings of organic

1
adjective
Grown without man-made chemical sprays or fertilizers, and sometimes approved by an official body.
Like vegetables from a garden where no chemical sprays are ever used.
We buy organic apples because they are grown without chemical sprays.
The store sells organic milk in the back fridge.
Oppositeconventional, nonorganic
Note
2
adjective
Coming from or made of living things like plants and animals.
Like leaves, wood, and bones: all coming from living things.
The soil is full of organic material from dead leaves.
Compost adds organic matter to the garden.
Similarbiological, living, natural
Oppositeinorganic
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3
adjective
Having to do with carbon and the substances that contain it.
Like a building set where carbon atoms link up to form many shapes.
Methane is an organic gas made of carbon and hydrogen.
Sugar is an organic substance found in plants.
Oppositeinorganic
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4
adjective
Happening slowly and naturally, without being forced.
Like a plant that grows on its own, a little at a time.
Their friendship grew in an organic way over many years.
The town had an organic feel, growing bit by bit.
Similarnatural, gradual, unforced, spontaneous
Oppositeforced, artificial, contrived
5
nouncountable
A food grown without man-made chemical sprays or fertilizers.
Each organic on the shelf was clearly labeled with its farm.
She prefers organics to food grown with chemicals.
6
nouncountable
A substance built from carbon, like those found in living things.
Plastic is an organic made mostly of carbon.
Many organics burn easily because they contain carbon and hydrogen.
Oppositeinorganic
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7
adjective
Showing up in search results naturally, not because someone paid for it.
Like getting to the front of a line because of your work, not because you paid for the spot.
Most people click the organic results, not the ads.
Our website gets a lot of organic traffic from Google.
Similarunpaid, natural
Oppositepaid
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8
adjective
Fitting together well as one connected whole.
Like the parts of a body that all work together as one.
The team had an organic way of working together.
All the rooms share an organic style that feels connected.
Similarcoherent, integrated, unified, harmonious
Oppositedisjointed, fragmented, incoherent
9
adjective
Having to do with an organ inside the body, like the heart or liver.
The doctor looked for an organic cause of the pain.
Her headaches had no organic reason behind them.
Similarphysical, physiological
Oppositefunctional, psychological
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10
nouncountable
A living being, not a robot or a hologram.
Like a real person standing next to a toy robot.
On the ship, only one organic remained among the machines.
The robots served the organics aboard the station.
Note

Less common meanings

11
adjective
Being a permanent part of a military unit, not just added for a short time.
Like a player who is on the team for good, not just on loan for one game.
The battalion's organic medics travel with it everywhere.
Each company has its own organic supply team.
Similarintegral, permanent
Oppositeattached
Note
12
adjective
Working as a tool to reach a set goal or purpose.
Like a hammer made for one job, built to serve a purpose.
Every part of the machine is organic to its single purpose.
The senses are organic, serving as tools for the mind.
Note
13
adjective
Describing a kind of social bond where people choose to rely on one another for shared benefit.
Like a sports team where each player has a different job and they all need each other.
Modern cities show organic solidarity, where people depend on each other's jobs.
An organic bond ties together workers who each do different tasks.
Oppositemechanical
Note

Practice

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Origin

It came through Old French organique from Latin organicus.