organism

The word “organism” means a complete, living individual thing, such as an animal, plant, fungus, or microbe. In plain terms, a living thing, from a bacterium to a human — or, more loosely, any complex system whose parts depend on each other.

“Organism” is pronounced AW-guh-nih-zuhm (/ˈɔɹ.ɡəˌnɪz.əm/ in IPA).

Here is “organism” used in a sentence: “A single-celled organism can still carry out all the basic functions of life.”

Words with a similar meaning to “organism” include being and biont.

“Organism” is a noun.

The word “organism” comes from Greek. From "organ" plus "-ism," ultimately from Greek órganon, "instrument.".

“Organism” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Organism” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a complete, living individual thing, such as an animal, plant, fungus, or microbe.

An "organism" is a single, complete living individual, such as one animal, plant, fungus, or microbe. A "species" is a broader classification category that groups organisms sharing common characteristics and the ability to interbreed.

Whether a virus counts as an "organism" is debated among scientists, since a complete, living individual thing typically must carry out independent life processes, and viruses rely entirely on host cells to reproduce. Many biologists exclude viruses from the strict definition of organism for this reason.

Outside biology, "organism" can describe a complex system made up of interdependent parts, compared metaphorically to a living thing, such as calling a large institution or society "a living organism." This figurative use highlights how the parts function together as a whole.