organize

American  

[awr-guh-nahyz] / ˈɔr gəˌnaɪz /

especially British, organise

verb (used with object)

• organizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• organized,
  past participle,  past
• organizing
  present participle

1. to form as or into a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, especially for united action.

   to organize a committee.

   Synonyms:

   frame, dispose

   Antonyms:

   destroy

2. to systematize.

   to organize the files of an office.

   Synonyms:

   order

3. to give organic structure or character to.

   Cells become differentiated and organized into tissues.

4. to enlist or attempt to enlist into a labor union.

   to organize workers.

5. to enlist the employees of (a company) into a labor union; unionize.

   to organize a factory.

6. Informal. to put (oneself ) in a state of mental competence to perform a task.

   We can't have any slip-ups, so you'd better get organized.

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verb (used without object)

• organizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• organized,
  past participle,  past
• organizing
  present participle

1. to combine in an organized company, party, or the like.

2. to form a labor union.

   Management resisted all efforts to organize.

3. to assume organic structure.

organize British  

/ ˈɔːɡəˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to form (parts or elements of something) into a structured whole; coordinate

2. (tr) to arrange methodically or in order

3. (tr) to provide with an organic structure

4. (tr) to enlist (the workers) of (a factory, concern, or industry) in a trade union

5. (intr) to join or form an organization or trade union

6. informal (tr) to put (oneself) in an alert and responsible frame of mind

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• organizability
  noun
• misorganize
  verb
• preorganize
  verb
• outorganize
  verb (used with object)
• organizable
  adjective
• unorganizable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• organizing
  present
• organized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• organize
  simple
• organizes
  simple
• have organized
  perfect
• has organized
  perfect
• am organizing
  progressive
• are organizing
  progressive
• is organizing
  progressive
• have been organizing
  perfect progressive
• has been organizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• organized
  simple
• had organized
  perfect
• was organizing
  progressive
• were organizing
  progressive
• had been organizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will organize
  simple
• will have organized
  perfect
• will be organizing
  progressive
• will have been organizing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of organize

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin organizāre “to contrive, arrange,” equivalent to organ(um) organ + -izāre -ize

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Explanation

If you systematically put something in order, you organize it. Your family might not understand the way you organize your kitchen if you keep shoelaces, dental floss, and a screwdriver in your silverware drawer. The verb organize also means to plan or orchestrate something. If you've agreed to organize the German club's bake sale, you'll probably spend some serious time transporting cupcakes and linzer torte to school. When a group of workers forms a union, this action is also described with the verb organize. The International Ladies Garment Workers Union, for example, was organized in 1900 in New York City by immigrant factory workers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

organize organizes organized organizing

A City University of New York law student who helped organize the march agreed to speak with me on the condition I not publish his name.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

The success of the new commissioning pipeline will depend on how the schools involved organize cadet life and prepare students for service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The group tried to push the state legislature to adopt bills aimed at stopping steep rent increases and protecting tenants’ rights to organize.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Those abilities help people hold information in mind, stay focused, plan, and organize.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

It’s a good thing I make such detailed outlines for my research papers, because I knew how to organize my thoughts and start making sense of what I was feeling.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

A “family council” started around 2017 organizes the family reunions and helps educate family members about the company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

“We don’t bring any material aid,” said Sandra Rodríguez, part of a volunteer group that organizes clown shows and other diversions, speaking at a golf course that has become an official homeless encampment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents Association which organizes the dinner, said in June as she announced the re-do that "we will not allow an act of violence to have the last word."

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

The researchers conclude that tau should be viewed not only as a protein involved in Alzheimer's disease, but also as a fundamental regulator of how the brain organizes, stores, and retrieves lasting memories.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

She is a room parent for Kaleigh’s third-grade class and organizes science projects there.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

The event was part of LA Tech Week, a citywide event organized by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Those responsible "appear to be acting in an organized and intense manner," he said in an interview.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

"What transfers to humans isn't the map, it's the method, and the fact that we now know that a healthy brain has a very organized lipid map at all," says Luca Fusar Bassini.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

To the extent it’s possible for the U.S. to assist neighbors in recovering democratic institutions that have been lost to organized crime, the initiative has promise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

The problem was, the cards were still organized according to the measurements of the Bertillon system.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Mejia’s subpoena, issued under his City Charter authority, came two and a half weeks after officials at LA28, the Olympic organizing committee, rejected his previous request to disclose the information.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Aneka Johnson, 44, had come from London, where she has been organizing a dog week since 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

But the incremental disappearance of ordinary interactions raises a question worth considering: What happens when convenience becomes the organizing principle of our public lives?

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

The startup Manus AI, which Meta once sought to buy, has its own platform for organizing a team of big-eyed AI avatars which, like Dots, come in various shapes and colors and can emote.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

Meeting people, organizing a school, scheduling regular prayers, divvying up work.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

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