1660s, "organic structure, organization" (a sense now rare or obsolete), from organize + -ism. Sense of "living animal or plant, body exhibiting organic life" is by 1842. Related: Organismic; organismal.
Entries linking to organism
organize v.
early 15c., organisen, "to construct, establish," from Old French organiser and directly from Medieval Latin organizare, from Latin organum "instrument, organ" (see organ). Meaning "to form into a whole consisting of interdependent parts" is from 1630s. The intransitive sense of "assume an organic structure" is by 1880. Related: Organized; organizing; organizable.
-ism
word-forming element making nouns implying a practice, system, doctrine, etc., from French -isme or directly from Latin -isma, -ismus (source also of Italian, Spanish -ismo, Dutch, German -ismus), from Greek -ismos, noun ending signifying the practice or teaching of a thing, from the stem of verbs in -izein, a verb-forming element denoting the doing of the noun or adjective to which it is attached. For distinction of use, see -ity. The related Greek suffix -isma(t)- affects some forms.
organize (v.)-ismcyborg (n.)micro-organism (n.)*werg-