Organized

How to spell organized

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce organized

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does organized mean?

1. verbArranged or coordinated something into an orderly, functioning structure (past tense).
2. adjectiveArranged in a tidy, systematic, and efficient way.

Organized in a sentence

• verb

  She organized the files by client and date before the audit.

• adjective

  Her desk was so organized that she could find any document in seconds.

• verb

  The committee organized a fundraising dinner for the new library.

• adjective

  A well organized team finishes the project ahead of schedule.

Where does organized come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek organon, which literally meant a 'tool' or 'instrument', and by extension a working part of the body, an organ. Latin took it up as organum, and medieval Latin coined organizare to mean 'to furnish with organs' or 'to arrange into a working whole'. French passed this on as organiser, and English adopted the verb 'organize' in the early 1400s with the sense of giving something a structured, functioning form. The past and adjectival form 'organized' grew naturally from this, shifting from the biological idea of body parts working together to the modern sense of being orderly and well arranged. The -ize ending here reflects the Greek-derived suffix that English shares with words like 'realize' and 'recognize', and the silent middle vowel of organ-I-zed is exactly where careful spellers slow down.

How the word is built

• organ- (from Greek organon: tool, instrument)
• -ize (verb-forming suffix)
• -ed (past tense / adjectival suffix)

British and American spelling

Organized is the American spelling. British English spells it organised.