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
These organisms survived the rise and fall of ice sheets, the extinction of megafauna and the entire arc of human history — all while sitting in frozen silence beneath the Alaskan ground.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
For example, researchers envision a skin cream that protects troops from frostbite, developed by mimicking the biological cold-resistance strategies these organisms evolved over millennia.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Every morning before walking into the ICU, my colleagues and I checked flu activity levels, RSV hospitalizations, drug-resistant organism patterns.
—Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Feb. 2026
In other words, once an intimate symbiotic relationship forms — in which at least one organism depends on another for survival — it’s locked in.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for organism
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Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
For example, researchers envision a skin cream that protects troops from frostbite, developed by mimicking the biological cold-resistance strategies these organisms evolved over millennia.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Every morning before walking into the ICU, my colleagues and I checked flu activity levels, RSV hospitalizations, drug-resistant organism patterns.
—Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Feb. 2026
In other words, once an intimate symbiotic relationship forms — in which at least one organism depends on another for survival — it’s locked in.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for organism
Cite this Entry
“Organism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organism. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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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