— organicalness, organicity /awr'geuh nis"i tee/ , n.
/awr gan"ik/ , adj.
1. noting or pertaining to a class of chemical compounds that formerly comprised only those existing in or derived from plants or animals, but that now includes all other compounds of carbon.
2. characteristic of, pertaining to, or derived from living organisms: organic remains found in rocks.
3. of or pertaining to an organ or the organs of an animal, plant, or fungus.
4. of, pertaining to, or affecting living tissue: organic pathology.
5. Psychol. caused by neurochemical, neuroendocrinologic, structural, or other physical impairment or change: organic disorder. Cf. FUNCTIONAL (def. 5).
6. Philos. having an organization similar in its complexity to that of living things.
7. characterized by the systematic arrangement of parts; organized; systematic: elements fitting together into a unified, organic whole.
8. of or pertaining to the basic constitution or structure of a thing; constitutional; structural: The flaws in your writing are too organic to be easily remedied.
9. developing in a manner analogous to the natural growth and evolution characteristic of living organisms; arising as a natural outgrowth.
10. viewing or explaining something as having a growth and development analogous to that of living organisms: an organic theory of history.
11. pertaining to, involving, or grown with fertilizers or pesticides of animal or vegetable origin, as distinguished from manufactured chemicals: organic farming; organic fruits.
12. Law. of or pertaining to the constitutional or essential law or laws of organizing the government of a state.
13. Archit. noting or pertaining to any work of architecture regarded as analogous to plant or animal forms in having a structure and a plan that fulfill perfectly the functional requirements for the building and that form in themselves an intellectually lucid, integrated whole.
14. Fine Arts. of or pertaining to the shapes or forms in a work of art that are of irregular contour and seem to resemble or suggest forms found in nature.
n.
15. a substance, as a fertilizer or pesticide, of animal or vegetable origin.
[ 1350-1400; ME: pertaining to an organ of the body organicus by or employing a mechanical device, instrumental organikós equiv. to órgan(on) ORGAN + -ikos -IC ]
Syn. 8. inherent, fundamental, basic
Ant. 1. inorganic.