Organism: Definition, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：living being (organism)

organism 🔊

/ˈɔːrɡənɪzəm/

A single living thing that can grow, reproduce, and respond to its environment.

Organism diagram: close-up microscopic view of a single-celled paramecium in water

living being 🔊

➕

/ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈbiːɪŋ/

An individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, fungus, or bacterium, that is capable of carrying out all the fundamental processes of life.

📁 Category：Biology & Nature 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'organon' (tool, instrument) + suffix '-ism', denoting a system or entity.

💡 Mnemonic

Think: ORGANism - an ORGAnized system of interacting parts, like the organs in a body.

📖 Example

The scientist was excited to discover a tiny, glowing organism in the deep-sea sample. 🔊 The scientist was thrilled to find a small, luminous living being within the sample taken from the deep ocean.

🔗 Collocations

living organism – a biological entity that exhibits the characteristics of life

single-celled organism – a life form consisting of only one cell, like a bacterium

marine organism – a living being that inhabits the ocean or sea

🔄 Synonyms

life form (n.) – Any living structure capable of growth and reproduction.

creature (n.) – A living being, especially an animal.

being (n.) – A living entity; existence.

🚫 Antonyms

machine (n.) – A man-made apparatus that performs tasks but is not alive.

🌱 Derivatives

microorganism (n.) – A microscopic organism, such as a bacterium or virus.

organic (adj.) – Relating to or derived from living matter; having a systematic structure.

organismic (adj.) – Relating to an organism or its characteristics.

📖 Cultural Story

Derived via Latin and French from the Greek 'organon', meaning an instrument for work. The modern biological sense emerged in the 18th century, solidifying the concept of a complex living structure composed of interrelated parts (organs) functioning as a whole.