Organization Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

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

noun

1. the act or process of organizing.

2. the state or manner of being organized. 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

• antiorganization noun
• misorganization noun
• nonorganization noun
• organizational adjective
• organizationally adverb
• preorganization noun
• suborganization noun
• superorganization noun
• underorganization noun

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”; organize ) + -iō -ion

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.

I checked recently and learned that the Legion, a veterans organization founded in 1919, still issues the award annually.

From The Wall Street Journal

Conduct such as Attia’s association with Epstein would typically be grounds for a network news organization to cut ties with an individual, especially one who is not a full-time employee.

From Los Angeles Times

Marty Baron, who served as The Post's editor until 2021, called it "among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations".

From BBC

Kasten did not rule out Walter shifting some or all of his remaining funding commitment to an organization outside LA Rises.

From Los Angeles Times

The organization says the figure is expected to grow.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• association
• body
• business
• circle
• club
• company
• consortium
• cooperative
• corporation
• establishment
• federation
• industry
• institute
• institution
• league
• party
• society
• team
• union

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.