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:
I took a massive risk to go to 85th and Broadway and start an organization at the height of the homicide crisis and gang crisis — and crack cocaine and AIDS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 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
A non-profit organization called Model Evaluation and Threat Research has grown in prominence recently after being mentioned in Amodei’s essay as a potential third-party evaluator.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Next, Sam Sankar of the environmental-law organization Earthjustice explains why SCOTUS’ longstanding skepticism towards the environment does not make him as pessimistic as one might expect.
From Slate ● Sep. 19, 2026
He was working two part-time jobs—one in the office of a legal nonprofit organization in Boston, and he also started assisting Vincent at Ari’s Cakes.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
The Fair Games Coalition, which is made up of over 80 organizations, formed to fight for better labor deals during major events like the Super Bowl and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
News organizations large and small are being squeezed like never before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
On Friday, a group of independent AI evaluation organizations called the AI Evaluator Forum published a public letter outlining a general framework for embedded evaluators.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
The issue is whether schools and youth sports organizations should sponsor a game whose primary health risks can’t be prevented by equipment technology alone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Through Jewish organizations, my parents connected with our few relatives in the United States.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
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.
