definitions

superorganic

[ soo-per-awr-gan-ik ]
/ ˌsu pər ɔrˈgæn ɪk /
|

adjective Sociology, Anthropology.

of or relating to the structure of cultural elements within society conceived as independent of and superior to the individual members of society.

Nearby words

supernutrient, superolateral, superorder, superordinate, superordination, superorganic, superovulate, superoxide, superoxide dismutase, superparasite, superparticle

Origin of superorganic

super- + organic
Related formssu·per·or·gan·i·cism, nounsu·per·or·gan·i·cist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for superorganic

  • They belong to a superorganic system of relations, conventions, and institutional arrangements.

    Folkways|William Graham Sumner

  • There is here, it may be said, no special reference to the organic and the superorganic.

    Spencer's Philosophy of Science|C. Lloyd Morgan

  • Competition and combination are two forms of life association which alternate through the whole organic and superorganic domains.

    Folkways|William Graham Sumner

  • It remains to apply them to inorganic, organic, and superorganic existences.

    Beacon Lights of History, Volume XIV|John Lord

British Dictionary definitions for superorganic

superorganic

/ (ˌsuːpərɔːˈɡænɪk) /

adjective

sociol (no longer widely used) relating to those aspects of a culture that are conceived as being superior to the individual members of the society
Derived Formssuperorganicism, nounsuperorganicist, noun
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