organization
Americannoun
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organizations
plural
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the act or process of organizing.
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the state or manner of being organized.
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something that is organized.
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organic structure; composition.
The organization of this painting is quite remarkable.
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a group of persons organized for some end or work; association.
a nonprofit organization.
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the administrative personnel or apparatus of a business.
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the functionaries of a political party along with the offices, committees, etc., that they fill.
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an organism.
adjective
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of or relating to an organization.
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Informal. conforming entirely to the standards, rules, or demands of an organization, especially that of one's employer.
an organization mentality.
noun
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the act of organizing or the state of being organized
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an organized structure or whole
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a business or administrative concern united and constructed for a particular end
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a body of administrative officials, as of a political party, a government department, etc
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order or system; method
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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antiorganizationnoun
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misorganizationnoun
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nonorganizationnoun
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preorganizationnoun
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suborganizationnoun
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superorganizationnoun
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underorganizationnoun
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organizationaladjective
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organizationallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of organization
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English organizacion, from Medieval Latin organizātiōn-, stem of organizātiō, equivalent to organizāt(us) “arranged” (past participle of organizāre “to contrive, arrange”; see organize) + -iō -ion
Explanation
An organization is a group of people who work together, like a neighborhood association, a charity, a union, or a corporation. You can use the word organization to refer to group or business, or to the act of forming or establishing something. It can also refer to a structure for classifying things or to a system of arrangement or order. When your English teacher tells you you need to work on the organization of your essay, she's using this last meaning. This word derives from an Old French verb meaning "to combine into an orderly whole."
Vocabulary lists containing organization
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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List 1
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Keystone Exams: English Composition Glossary
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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.
See Examples For:
Tanner Kelly, founder of the pro-merger organization Neighbors for Strong Communities, said his group had been concerned about job losses if Paramount were to leave California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Its targets included the International Campaign for Tibet, the Washington organization I chair, which works to promote human rights and democratic freedom for the Tibetan people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
This year, the news organization introduced a metric that evaluates graduates’ earnings within majors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
It is a very small protein embedded in cell membranes and has been associated with processes involving membrane organization and cellular transport.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
I kept telling myself that all I had to do was point out that there was no place in Joey’s career, my organization or our driveway for the likes of him.
From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen
Counterintuitively, this means that organizations like Cornerstone can repurpose older silicon manufacturing equipment used for earlier generations of processors.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
They are typically nonprofit organizations that maintain amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms, playgrounds, private roads, shared parking lots, sidewalks, trash removal and more.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
The partnership will bring together Qatar Investment Authority’s institutional perspective and JPMorgan’s investment capabilities, positioning both organizations to capitalize on global investment opportunities and deliver long-term value, they said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
By Saturday, reporters from those three organizations were being denied White House access.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
Randy Weaver had been interviewed by major news organizations and had even co-written a book with his daughter.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
