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organic compounds

Cultural  
  1. The compounds containing carbon that are typically found in living systems.


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Generally, anything made from living systems, such as cloth, fuels, or wood, is said to be organic. Organic foods are grown with no fertilizer except the organic compounds found naturally in plants and animals.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The third region contains organic compounds that include nitrogen, an element that plays a key role in biological molecules such as amino acids.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

The e-noses can sniff out the unique signatures of volatile organic compounds not only in the breath, but in excretions like sweat or urine, and have AI quickly identify them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Volatile organic compounds like benzene, stemming from burnt PVC pipes, have entered drinking water.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Their earlier work examined how clay minerals bind organic matter and how microbes preferentially convert certain organic compounds into carbon dioxide.

From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2026

No matter what its original condition, the intense rain and heat of the forest have eroded its surface, washed out all its minerals, and decomposed vital organic compounds.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann