organism
noun
or·gan·ism
ˈȯr-gə-ˌni-zəm 
1
: a complex structure of interdependent and subordinate elements whose relations and properties are largely determined by their function in the whole
the nation is not merely the sum of individual citizens at any given time, but it is a living organism, a mystical body … of which the individual is an ephemeral part—
Joseph Rossi
Joseph Rossi2
: an individual constituted to carry on the activities of life by means of parts or organs more or less separate in function but mutually dependent : a living being
a multicellular organism
Examples of organism in a Sentence
A human being is a complex organism.
Recent Examples on the Web
But these azole-resistant infections were occurring in people who had never received those antifungals—and their organisms displayed an identical genetic pattern even in patients hospitalized many miles from one another.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025
Anxiety is not merely a psychological phenomenon; it is linked to physiological and behavioral changes that help organisms respond to potential threats.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025
Evo is trained only on genomes from the simplest organisms, prokaryotes.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
The researchers expected the tiny organisms to reduce rapidly and recover slowly.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
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Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025
Anxiety is not merely a psychological phenomenon; it is linked to physiological and behavioral changes that help organisms respond to potential threats.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025
Evo is trained only on genomes from the simplest organisms, prokaryotes.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
The researchers expected the tiny organisms to reduce rapidly and recover slowly.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for organism
Dictionary Entries Near organism
Cite this Entry
“Organism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organism. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
organism
noun
or·gan·ism
ˈȯr-gə-ˌniz-əm
1
: something having many related parts that function together as a whole
2
: an individual living thing that carries on the activities of life by means of organs which have separate functions but are dependent on each other : a living person, plant, or animal
Medical Definition
organism
noun
or·gan·ism
ˈȯr-gə-ˌniz-əm
: an individual constituted to carry on the activities of life by means of organs separate in function but mutually dependent : a living being
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