organization

/ɔrgɪnɪˈzeɪʃɪn/

/ɔgənaɪˈzeɪʃən/
IPA guide

Other forms: organizations

An organization is a group of people who work together, like a neighborhood association, a charity, a union, or a corporation.

You can use the word organization to refer to group or business, or to the act of forming or establishing something. It can also refer to a structure for classifying things or to a system of arrangement or order. When your English teacher tells you you need to work on the organization of your essay, she's using this last meaning. This word derives from an Old French verb meaning "to combine into an orderly whole."

Definitions of organization
  1. noun
    an ordered manner; orderliness by virtue of being methodical and well organized
    “his compulsive organization was not an endearing quality”
    synonyms: organisation, system
    see moresee less
    type of:
    methodicalness, orderliness
    the quality of appreciating method and system
  2. noun
    an organized structure for arranging or classifying
    “the facts were familiar but it was in the organization of them that he was original”
    synonyms: arrangement, organisation, system
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    types:
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    classification system
    a system for classifying things
    contrivance
    an artificial or unnatural or obviously contrived arrangement of details or parts etc.
    coordinate system, frame of reference, reference frame, reference system
    a system that uses coordinates to establish position
    data structure
    (computer science) the organization of data (and its storage allocations in a computer)
    design, plan
    an arrangement scheme
    distribution, statistical distribution
    (statistics) an arrangement of values of a variable showing their observed or theoretical frequency of occurrence
    genetic map
    graphical representation of the arrangement of genes on a chromosome
    kinship system
    (anthropology) the system of social relationships that constitute kinship in a particular culture, including the terminology that is used and the reciprocal obligations that are entailed
    lattice
    an arrangement of points or particles or objects in a regular periodic pattern in 2 or 3 dimensions
    living arrangement
    an arrangement to allow people (or ideas) to coexist
    ontology
    (computer science) a rigorous and exhaustive organization of some knowledge domain that is usually hierarchical and contains all the relevant entities and their relations
    calendar
    a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year
    Dewey decimal classification, Dewey decimal system, decimal system of classification
    a system used by libraries to classify nonfictional publications into subject categories; the subject is indicated by a three-digit numeral and further specification is given by numerals following a decimal point; publications are shelved by number
    Cartesian coordinate system
    a coordinate system for which the coordinates of a point are its distances from a set perpendicular lines that intersect at the origin of the system
    equidistribution
    a flat distribution having equal frequencies of occurrence
    configuration, constellation
    an arrangement of parts or elements
    Bravais lattice, crystal lattice, space lattice
    a 3-dimensional geometric arrangement of the atoms or molecules or ions composing a crystal
    hierarchical data structure, hierarchical structure
    a structure of data having several levels arranged in a treelike structure
    hierarchical classification system
    a classification system where entries are arranged based on some hierarchical structure
    file system, filing system
    a system of classifying into files (usually arranged alphabetically)
    grouping, pigeonholing
    a system for classifying things into groups
    rating system, scoring system
    a system of classifying according to quality or merit or amount
    ABO blood group system, ABO group, ABO system
    a classification system for the antigens of human blood; used in blood transfusion therapy; four groups are A and B and AB and O
    layout
    a plan or design of something that is laid out
    snare, trap
    something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares
    inertial frame, inertial reference frame
    a coordinate system in which Newton's first law of motion is valid
    space-time, space-time continuum
    the four-dimensional coordinate system (3 dimensions of space and 1 of time) in which physical events are located
    frequency distribution
    a distribution of observed frequencies of occurrence of the values of a variable
    Gaussian distribution, normal distribution
    a theoretical distribution with finite mean and variance
    Poisson distribution
    a theoretical distribution that is a good approximation to the binomial distribution when the probability is small and the number of trials is large
    sample, sample distribution, sampling
    items selected at random from a population and used to test hypotheses about the population
    Bernoulli distribution, binomial distribution
    a theoretical distribution of the number of successes in a finite set of independent trials with a constant probability of success
    hotel plan, meal plan
    a plan and a room rate for providing a room and meals to guests at a hotel
    lunar calendar
    a calendar based on lunar cycles
    lunisolar calendar
    a calendar based on both lunar and solar cycles
    solar calendar
    a calendar based on solar cycles
    type of:
    structure
    the complex composition of knowledge as elements and their combinations
  3. noun
    the act of forming or establishing something
    “he still remembers the organization of the club”
    synonyms: constitution, establishment, formation, organisation
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    unionisation, unionization
    act of forming labor unions
    collectivisation, collectivization
    the organization of a nation or economy on the basis of collectivism
    communisation, communization
    the organization of a nation of the basis of communism
    federation
    the act of constituting a political unity out of a number of separate states or colonies or provinces so that each member retains the management of its internal affairs
    colonisation, colonization, settlement
    the act of colonizing; the establishment of colonies
    incorporation
    the act or process of establishing a city or organization as a legal entity
    population
    the act of populating (causing to live in a place)
    type of:
    beginning, commencement, start
    the act of starting something
  4. noun
    a group of people who work together
    synonyms: organisation
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Association of Orangemen
    a Protestant political organization in Northern Ireland
    types:
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    adhocracy
    an organization with little or no structure
    affiliate
    a subsidiary or subordinate organization that is affiliated with another organization
    bureaucracy
    any organization in which action is obstructed by insistence on unnecessary procedures and red tape
    NGO, nongovernmental organization
    an organization that is not part of the local or state or federal government
    Tammany, Tammany Hall, Tammany Society
    a political organization within the Democratic Party in New York City (late 1800's and early 1900's) seeking political control by corruption and bossism
    fiefdom
    an organization that is controlled by a dominant person or group
    line of defence, line of defense
    any organization whose responsibility it is to defend against something
    line organisation, line organization
    the organizational structure of activities contributing directly to the organization's output
    association
    a formal organization of people or groups of people
    polity
    a politically organized unit
    quango, quasi-NGO
    a quasi nongovernmental organization; an organization that is financed by the government yet acts independently of the government
    establishment, institution
    an organization founded and united for a specific purpose
    enterprise
    an organization created for business ventures
    defence, defence force, defense, defense force
    an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack
    establishment
    any large organization
    fire brigade, fire company
    a private or temporary organization of individuals equipped to fight fires
    company, troupe
    an organization of performers and associated personnel (especially theatrical)
    social unit, unit
    an organization regarded as part of a larger social group
    Peace Corps
    a civilian organization sponsored by the United States government; helps people in developing countries
    force, personnel
    group of people willing to obey orders
    brotherhood, labor union, trade union, trades union, union
    an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer
    musical group, musical organisation, musical organization
    an organization of musicians who perform together
    party, political party
    an organization to gain political power
    machine, political machine
    a group that controls the activities of a political party
    machine
    an intricate organization that accomplishes its goals efficiently
    professional organisation, professional organization
    an organization of and for professional people
    alignment, alinement, alliance, coalition
    an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty
    federation
    an organization formed by merging several groups or parties
    hierarchy, pecking order, power structure
    the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body
    commission, delegacy, delegation, deputation, mission
    a group of representatives or delegates
    Girl Scouts
    an organization of young women and girls founded in 1912 for character development and citizenship training
    blue
    any organization or party whose uniforms or badges are blue
    gray, grey
    any organization or party whose uniforms or badges are grey
    host
    any organization that provides resources and facilities for a function or event
    pool
    an organization of people or resources that can be shared
    combination
    an alliance of people or corporations or countries for a special purpose (formerly to achieve some antisocial end but now for general political or economic purposes)
    AA, Alcoholics Anonymous
    an international organization that provides a support group for persons trying to overcome alcoholism
    klavern
    a local unit of the Ku Klux Klan
    Red Cross
    an international organization that cares for the sick or wounded or homeless in wartime
    Salvation Army
    a charitable and religious organization to evangelize and to care for the poor and homeless
    UTN, Umma Tameer-e-Nau
    a nongovernmental organization of Pakistani scientists that has been a supporter of terrorism; has provided information about chemical and biological and nuclear warfare to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda and the Taliban
    NT, National Trust
    an organization concerned to preserve historic monuments and buildings and places of historical interest or natural beauty; founded in 1895 and supported by endowment and private subscription
    authorities, government, regime
    the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
    medical institution
    an institution created for the practice of medicine
    financial institution, financial organisation, financial organization
    an institution (public or private) that collects funds (from the public or other institutions) and invests them in financial assets
    issuer
    an institution that issues something (securities or publications or currency etc.)
    charity
    an institution set up to provide help to the needy
    giant
    an unusually large enterprise
    collective
    members of a cooperative enterprise
    company
    an institution created to conduct business
    business, business concern, business organisation, business organization, concern
    a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
    bastion
    a group that defends a principle
    commercial enterprise
    an enterprise connected with commerce
    administrative body, administrative unit
    a unit with administrative responsibilities
    company
    a unit of firefighters including their equipment
    family, home, house, household, menage
    a social unit living together
    faith, organized religion, religion
    an institution to express belief in a divine power
    American Baptist Convention, Northern Baptist Convention
    an association of Northern Baptists
    Southern Baptist Convention
    an association of Southern Baptists
    vicariate, vicarship
    the religious institution under the authority of a vicar
    general delivery, poste restante
    the part of a post office that handles mail for persons who call for it
    instrumentality
    a subsidiary organ of government created for a special purpose
    ICU, intensive care unit
    a hospital unit staffed and equipped to provide intensive care
    denomination
    a group of religious congregations having its own organization and a distinctive faith
    member
    an organization that is a member of another organization (especially a state that belongs to a group of nations)
    allies
    an alliance of nations joining together to fight a common enemy
    axis, bloc
    a group of countries in special alliance
    Allies
    in World War I the alliance of Great Britain and France and Russia and all the other nations that became allied with them in opposing the Central Powers
    Central Powers
    in World War I the alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary and other nations allied with them in opposing the Allies
    Allies
    the alliance of nations that fought the Axis in World War II and which (with subsequent additions) signed the charter of the United Nations in 1945
    Axis
    in World War II the alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936 which later included Japan and other nations
    entente, entente cordiale
    an informal alliance between countries
    opera company
    a company that produces operas
    theater company
    a company that produces plays
    ballet company
    a company that produces ballets
    chorus
    a group of people assembled to sing together
    Greek chorus, chorus
    a company of actors who comment (by speaking or singing in unison) on the action in a classical Greek play
    ensemble
    a group of musicians playing or singing together
    circus
    a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
    minstrel show
    a troupe of performers in blackface
    minstrelsy
    a troupe of minstrels
    guerilla force, guerrilla force
    an irregular armed force that fights by sabotage and harassment; often rural and organized in large groups
    armed service, military service, service
    a force that is a branch of the armed forces
    force, military force, military group, military unit
    a unit that is part of some military service
    armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine
    the military forces of a nation
    paramilitary, paramilitary force, paramilitary organisation, paramilitary organization, paramilitary unit
    a group of civilians organized in a military fashion (especially to operate in place of or to assist regular army troops)
    task force
    a semipermanent unit created to carry out a continuing task
    squad, team
    a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
    constabulary, law, police, police force
    the force of police and officers
    private security force, security force
    a privately employed group hired to protect the security of a business or industry
    MP, military police
    a military corps that enforces discipline and guards prisoners
    hands, manpower, men, work force, workforce
    the force of workers available
    den
    a unit of 8 to 10 cub scouts
    section
    a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class
    cooperative
    an association formed and operated for the benefit of those using it
    club, gild, guild, lodge, order, social club, society
    a formal association of people with similar interests
    family, fellowship
    an association of people who share common beliefs or activities
    American Legion
    the largest organization of United States war veterans
    VFW, Veterans of Foreign Wars
    an organization of United States war veterans
    conference, league
    an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
    industrial union, vertical union
    a labor union that admits all workers in a given industry irrespective of their craft
    AFL, American Federation of Labor
    a federation of North American labor unions that merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955
    AFL-CIO, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
    the largest federation of North American labor unions; formed in 1955
    CIO, Congress of Industrial Organizations
    a federation of North American industrial unions that merged with the American Federation of Labor in 1955
    craft union
    a labor union whose membership is restricted to workers in a particular craft
    company union
    a union of workers for a single company; a union not affiliated with a larger union
    secret society
    a society that conceals its activities from nonmembers
    consortium, pool, syndicate
    an association of companies for some definite purpose
    professional association
    an association of practitioners of a given profession
    crew, gang, work party
    an organized group of workers
    Fabian Society
    an association of British socialists who advocate gradual reforms within the law leading to democratic socialism
    gang, mob, pack, ring
    an association of criminals
    duet, duette, duo
    two performers or singers who perform together
    trio
    three performers or singers who perform together
    quartet, quartette
    four performers or singers who perform together
    quintet, quintette
    five performers or singers who perform together
    sestet, sextet, sextette
    six performers or singers who perform together
    septet, septette
    seven performers or singers who perform together
    octet, octette
    eight performers or singers who perform together
    orchestra
    a musical organization consisting of a group of instrumentalists including string players
    band
    instrumentalists not including string players
    band, dance band, dance orchestra
    a group of musicians playing popular music for dancing
    American Labor Party
    a former political party in the United States; formed in 1936 in New York when labor and liberals bolted the Democratic Party
    American Party, Know-Nothing Party
    a former political party in the United States; active in the 1850s to keep power out of the hands of immigrants and Roman Catholics
    Anti-Masonic Party
    a former political party in the United States; founded in 1825 in opposition to Freemasonry in public affairs
    Black Panthers
    a militant Black political party founded in 1965 to end political dominance by Whites
    Communist Party
    a political party that actively advocates a communist form of government; in Communist countries it is the sole political party of the state
    Conservative Party
    a political party (especially in Great Britain or Australia) that believes in the importance of a capitalist economy with private ownership rather than state control
    Constitutional Union Party
    a former political party in the United States; formed in 1859 by former Whigs who hoped to preserve the Union
    Democratic Party
    the older of two major political parties in the United States
    Democratic-Republican Party
    a former major political party in the United States in the early 19th century; opposed the old Federalist party; favored a strict interpretation of the constitution in order to limit the powers of the federal government
    Farmer-Labor Party
    a former minor political party in the United States in the early 20th century
    American Federalist Party, Federal Party, Federalist Party
    a major political party in the United States in the early 19th century; founded by Alexander Hamilton; favored a strong centralized government
    Free Soil Party
    a former political party in the United States; formed in 1848 to oppose the extension of slavery into the territories; merged with the Liberty Party in 1848
    Gironde
    the French moderate political party that was in power (1791-1793) during the French Revolution
    Green Party
    an environmentalist political party
    Greenback Party
    a former political party in the United States; organized in 1874; opposed any reduction in the amount of paper money in circulation
    Guomindang, Kuomintang
    the political party founded in 1911 by Sun Yat-sen; it governed China under Chiang Kai-shek from 1928 until 1949 when the Communists took power and subsequently was the official ruling party of Taiwan
    labor party, labour party
    a left-of-center political party formed to represent the interest of ordinary working people
    Liberal Democrat Party
    a political party in Great Britain; formerly the Liberal Party; advocates reforms and improvement of the conditions of working people
    Liberal Party
    a political party in Australia, Canada, and other nations, and formerly in Great Britain
    Liberty Party
    a former political party in the United States; formed in 1839 to oppose the practice of slavery; merged with the Free Soil Party in 1848
    Militant Tendency
    a Trotskyist political organization in Great Britain set up in 1964 inside the Labour Party
    National Socialist German Workers' Party, Nazi Party
    the political party founded in Germany in 1919 and brought to power by Hitler in 1933
    People's Party, Populist Party
    a former political party in the United States; formed in 1891 to advocate currency expansion and state control of railroads
    Bull Moose Party, Progressive Party
    a former political party in the United States; founded by Theodore Roosevelt during the presidential campaign of 1912; its emblem was a picture of a bull moose
    Prohibition Party
    a political party in the United States; formed in 1869 to oppose the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages
    GOP, Republican Party
    the younger of two major political parties in the United States; GOP is an acronym for grand old party
    Social Democratic Party
    a political party in Germany and Britain (and elsewhere) founded in late 19th century; originally Marxist; now advocates the gradual transformation of capitalism into democratic socialism
    Socialist Labor Party
    a political party in the United States; formed in 1874 to advocate the peaceful introduction of socialism
    Socialist Party
    a political party in the United States formed in 1900 to advocate socialism
    Dixiecrats, States' Rights Democratic Party
    a former political party in the United States; formed in 1948 by Democrats from southern states in order to oppose to the candidacy of Harry S Truman
    war party
    a political party that supports a war
    Whig Party
    a former political party in the United States; formed in 1834 in opposition to the Democratic Party; advocated a loose interpretation of the Constitution and high protective tariffs
    third party
    a political party organized in opposition to the major parties in a two-party system
    legion
    association of ex-servicemen
    combination
    a group of people (often temporary) having a common purpose
    crew
    the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
    scout group, scout troop, troop
    a unit of Girl or Boy Scouts
    outfit
    any cohesive unit such as a military company
    educational institution
    an institution dedicated to education
    academy, honorary society
    an institution for the advancement of art or science or literature
    popular front
    a leftist coalition organized against a common opponent
    global organization, international organisation, international organization, world organisation, world organization
    an international alliance involving many different countries
    CORE, Congress of Racial Equality
    an organization founded by James Leonard Farmer in 1942 to work for racial equality
    chamber of commerce
    an association of businesspeople to protect and promote business interests
    citizens committee, committee
    a self-constituted organization to promote something
    patrol
    a group that goes through a region at regular intervals for the purpose of security
    Trojan horse, fifth column
    a subversive group that supports the enemy and engages in espionage or sabotage; an enemy in your midst
    political entity, political unit
    a unit with political responsibilities
    Union Army
    the northern army during the American Civil War
    Army of the Confederacy, Confederate Army
    the southern army during the American Civil War
    military personnel, soldiery, troops
    soldiers collectively
    rank, rank and file
    the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army)
    diplomatic mission
    a mission serving diplomatic ends
    embassy
    an ambassador and his or her entourage collectively
    foreign mission, mission, missionary post, missionary station
    an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
    Opposition
    the major political party opposed to the party in office and prepared to replace it if elected
    institute
    an association organized to promote art or science or education
    sisterhood, sistership
    an association or society of women who are linked together by a common religion or trade or interest
    side
    one of two or more contesting groups
    working group, working party
    a group of people working together temporarily until some goal is achieved
    staff
    personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task
    line personnel
    personnel having direct job performance responsibilities
    management personnel
    personnel having overall planning and direction responsibilities
    I.W.W., IWW, Industrial Workers of the World
    a former international labor union and radical labor movement in the United States; founded in Chicago in 1905 and dedicated to the overthrow of capitalism; its membership declined after World War I
    Northern Alliance, United Front
    a multiethnic alliance in Afghanistan who practice a moderate form of Islam and are united in their opposition to the Taliban
    typing pool
    a group of typists who can work for different persons
    AARP, Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons
    an association of people to promote the welfare of senior citizens
    National Association of Realtors
    a United States association of real estate agents which follows a strict code of ethics
    ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations
    an association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia and who joined with the United States to fight against global terrorism
    kennel
    an establishment for boarding or breeding dogs or cats
    type of:
    social group
    people sharing some social relation
  5. noun
    the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something
    synonyms: administration, brass, establishment, governance, governing body, organisation
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    types:
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    Curia
    (Roman Catholic Church) the central administration governing the Roman Catholic Church
    top brass
    the most important persons in a governing body
    executive
    persons who administer the law
    bench, judiciary
    persons who administer justice
    county council
    the elected governing body of a county
    government officials, officialdom
    people elected or appointed to administer a government
    management
    those in charge of running a business
    Bush administration
    the executive under President George W. Bush
    Clinton administration
    the executive under President Clinton
    Bush administration
    the executive under President George H. W. Bush
    Reagan administration
    the executive under President Reagan
    Carter administration
    the executive under President Carter
    civil service
    the government workforce exclusive of military service
    house
    the management of a gambling house or casino
    bureaucracy, bureaucratism
    nonelective government officials
    type of:
    body
    a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity
  6. noun
    the act of organizing a business or an activity related to a business
    “he was brought in to supervise the organization of a new department”
    synonyms: organisation
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    types:
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    nonprofit, nonprofit organization, not-for-profit
    an organization chartered for other than profit-making activities
    rationalisation, rationalization
    the organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency
    reorganisation, reorganization, shake-up, shakeup
    the imposition of a new organization; organizing differently (often involving extensive and drastic changes)
    self-organisation, self-organization
    organizing yourself (especially organizing your own labor union)
    syndication
    organizing into or administering as a syndicate
    type of:
    administration, disposal
    a method of tending to or managing the affairs of a some group of people (especially the group's business affairs)
  7. noun
    the activity or result of distributing or disposing persons or things properly or methodically
    “his organization of the work force was very efficient”
    synonyms: organisation
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    randomisation, randomization
    a deliberately haphazard arrangement of observations so as to simulate chance
    rationalisation, rationalization, systematisation, systematization
    systematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale
    order, ordering
    the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement
    itemisation, itemization, listing
    the act of making a list of items
    territorialisation, territorialization
    the act of organizing as a territory
    codification
    the act of codifying; arranging in a systematic order
    formalisation, formalization
    the act of making formal (as by stating formal rules governing classes of expressions)
    rank order
    an arrangement according to rank
    grading, scaling
    the act of arranging in a graduated series
    sequence, succession
    the action of following in order
    layout
    the act of laying out (as by making plans for something)
    alphabetisation, alphabetization
    the act of putting in alphabetical order
    inventory, inventorying, stock-taking, stocktaking
    making an itemized list of merchandise or supplies on hand
    type of:
    activity
    any specific behavior
Pronunciation
US

/ɔrgɪnɪˈzeɪʃɪn/
UK

/ɔgənaɪˈzeɪʃən/
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