easy
A single tree is an organism.
What does Organism mean?
An organism is an individual living thing; formally, the word can also describe a connected system that works like a living whole.
Dictionary definition
An organism is an individual living thing, such as an animal, plant, fungus, bacterium, or other form of life. In formal figurative use, organism can also mean a system or organization whose connected parts function together like a living whole.
Example sentences
Organism in a sentence
medium
Even a one-celled bacterium is an organism.
hard
Each organism in the food web depends on energy and materials from its surroundings.
hard
The writer compared the city to an organism whose neighborhoods perform connected roles.
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Organism
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What is an organism?
Plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other forms of life can each be organisms.
Practice 2
Which sentence uses organism figuratively?
The city is not literally alive; the comparison emphasizes connected parts working as a whole.
Practice 3
Which statement is accurate?
An organism can consist of one cell or many cells.
Practice complete
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Pronunciation coach
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Organism
Voice settings
Sounds like
or · guh · niz · um · strongest beat: or
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordOrganism.
Partnoun.
MeaningOrganism means An organism is an individual living thing; formally, the word can also describe a connected system that works like a living whole.
ExampleExample: A single tree is an organism.
Word breakdown
4 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- or · guh · niz · um
- Strongest beat
- or
- Ending
- um
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on or.
Your turn
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Synonyms
Words like Organism
living thingA close everyday synonym for an individual form of life.
life formA close synonym for a kind or example of living being, often used in scientific or speculative contexts.
systemA close synonym only for the formal figurative sense of connected parts functioning as a whole.
Antonym review
Does Organism have an opposite?
Organism has no direct antonym. Object and nonliving matter are broad contrasts, but an object may once have been living and matter is not a matching individual category.
Synonym practice
Want to practice organism synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "A mushroom is a living organism," then compare close word choices. Practice organism synonyms.
Word family
Organism word family
Base word
organism
noun
organisms
The plural form of organism.
adjective
organismal
Related to an organism as a whole; a technical biology term.
noun
microorganism
An organism too small to see clearly without magnification.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Organism
Hint for students
Look for one individual living thing, whether it has one cell or many. Then check whether the sentence is making a formal comparison to a connected system.
Common mix-up
Organism does not mean animal only, and it is not the same as species, population, or ecosystem. A virus may be called an organism in some dictionaries, but scientists debate whether viruses count as living things.
Try it in class or at home
Students sort cards into organism, group of organisms, and nonliving environment. They defend borderline cases such as a colony, seed, virus, and fallen leaf using evidence instead of appearance alone.
Teacher prompt
Compare one bacterium, one tree, a herd of deer, and an ecosystem. Which examples are individual organisms, and which are groups or systems?
Learning activities
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