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
Flexible, adaptable, and capable of navigating spaces once unreachable, these robots are designed to move like living organisms, transforming how doctors perform surgeries or how engineers inspect machinery.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
And for want of that protein, the organism–you–may start to fall apart.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
During this period, parasite numbers in the bloodstream fall to undetectable levels, but the organism continues to hide and persist within tissues, particularly the heart muscle and, in humans, the GI tract.
—New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2025
The task now is to understand the interplay of causes, where genes and physics somehow act hand in hand to sculpt organisms.
—Anna Demming, Quanta Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for organism
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
And for want of that protein, the organism–you–may start to fall apart.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
During this period, parasite numbers in the bloodstream fall to undetectable levels, but the organism continues to hide and persist within tissues, particularly the heart muscle and, in humans, the GI tract.
—New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2025
The task now is to understand the interplay of causes, where genes and physics somehow act hand in hand to sculpt organisms.
—Anna Demming, Quanta Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for organism
Cite this Entry
“Organism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organism. Accessed 17 Oct. 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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