noun

organization

or-guh-nuh-ZAY-shun/ˌɔːrɡənəˈzeɪʃn/

An arrangement of people or things into a coordinated whole.

The team's organization coordinates the sorting of food-bank supplies.

Community food bank team sorts supplies together for shared purpose.

Etymology

organLatininstrument; organ

+izLatinmake; furnish with

+ationLatinact or result

An organ is a part with a function. Organization first described bodily structure or the arrangement of interdependent parts, then a coordinated whole such as a group of people.

In context

Daniel Anderson8:36

the broader mission of the organization if we have questions that the few people in our working group can't answer we need to be able to reach outside across the organization to find experts and get answers

Dan Holme - How Yammer superpowers provide great experiences and integration across Microsoft 365

More examples

Good organization keeps the busy kitchen running smoothly.
She explains the organization of the company's three departments.
Several organizations share the cost of the community garden.

Forms

organization · organizations

organize verb — To arrange people or things systematically.

organizational adjective — Relating to a group's structure or coordination.

Similar words

association: An association is specifically a group united by shared interests.
coordination: Coordination emphasizes people or parts working smoothly together.
structure: Structure emphasizes how parts relate, rather than their coordination.