produced or grown without the use of artificial chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or preservatives
We always buy organic vegetables from the local farmers’ market.
The label guarantees that the apples were grown using organic methods.
✦ Sense developed in the 1940s as interest grew in farming that avoided synthetic chemicals.
food or other agricultural products that are grown or made without artificial chemicals
The grocery store has a special aisle for organics.
She spends more money on organics because she values health.
✦ Noun use dates from the 1970s as consumers began asking specifically for food produced by organic farming.
relating to or coming from living things
Bones and feathers are organic materials that decompose over time.
Scientists study organic matter to understand ancient ecosystems.
✦ Borrowed from Latin organicus “relating to an organ or instrument” and later linked to living organisms in the 17th century.
developing in a natural, gradual, and connected way rather than being artificially planned
Her leadership style allows ideas to grow in an organic manner.
The city’s expansion was organic, following the river rather than a strict grid.
✦ Figurative sense emerged in the late 19th century, likening social or artistic growth to living organisms.
in chemistry, describing compounds that contain carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen or other carbon atoms
Organic solvents like ethanol dissolve oils and fats.
Students memorize common organic functional groups such as alcohols and ketones.
✦ In the early 19th century, chemists believed only living organisms could produce carbon compounds, calling them “organic.”
