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organization

American  
[awr-guh-nuh-zay-shuhn] / ˌɔr gə nəˈzeɪ ʃən /
especially British, organisation

noun

  • organizations
    plural
  1. the act or process of organizing.

  2. the state or manner of being organized.

  3. something that is organized.

  4. organic structure; composition.

    The organization of this painting is quite remarkable.

  5. a group of persons organized for some end or work; association.

    a nonprofit organization.

  6. the administrative personnel or apparatus of a business.

  7. the functionaries of a political party along with the offices, committees, etc., that they fill.

  8. an organism.


adjective

  1. of or relating to an organization.

  2. Informal. conforming entirely to the standards, rules, or demands of an organization, especially that of one's employer.

    an organization mentality.

organization British  
/ ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act of organizing or the state of being organized

  2. an organized structure or whole

  3. a business or administrative concern united and constructed for a particular end

  4. a body of administrative officials, as of a political party, a government department, etc

  5. order or system; method

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing organization

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:

Only 5% of low- and moderate-income families have opened a Trump account for their children, according to a survey published in September by Commonwealth, a nonprofit organization.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

“I couldn’t thank the staff more with this entire organization for how much they’ve helped me,” Baker said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

When MYD chief of staff Sophia Secor, 28, became involved with the organization in 2023, it was “kind of lame,” she said, with a lack of buy-in from the organization’s few members.

From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026

It is why the Lakers play the game, Redick mused, and it is the standard this organization has set.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 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 US National Security Agency told organizations to patch immediately or pull vulnerable systems offline.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

He describes a vision for collaboration between the two organizations but comes off a bit more matter-of-fact than the MYD folks.

From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026

The couple have been passionate about preserving the natural environment around their home, having worked with local organizations to support efforts to maintain the lake’s water quality.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

Beginning in 2027, eligible taxpayers will receive federal tax credits for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations, up to $3,400 a year for married couples filing jointly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 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

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