organize
v.-
1 to arrange or plan (v.) A2 Elementaryto plan an event or to put things in a neat, useful order.
to arrange elements into a structured or functioning whole; often used for planning events or systematizing physical objects.
ExampleShe helped organize the office party so that everyone had a job to do.
ExampleThe project manager spent the morning trying to organize the chaotic workflow into a series of manageable daily tasks.
UsageCommonly used with a direct object representing the thing being structured.
- disorganize
- jumble
PitfallI need to organize about my desk.I need to organize my desk.The verb 'organize' is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition like 'about'.
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2 to form a union (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto bring workers together into a group or union to ask for better pay or conditions.
to form or persuade people to join a trade union or similar collective bargaining group.
ExampleThe factory workers decided to organize to ask for safer working conditions.
ExampleLabor leaders spent months attempting to organize the warehouse staff despite significant opposition from the local management team.
UsageCan be used intransitively to describe the act of forming a collective group.
- unionize
- mobilize
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3 music (v.) C2 Proficiency Technical Archaic Musicto sing or play music in different parts or layers.
to arrange or perform music in parts, specifically in the context of early polyphony.
ExampleThe choir began to organize the ancient melody into several different voices.
ExampleIn the study of early medieval polyphony, scholars examine how singers would organize a simple plainsong into complex harmonic layers.
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly specialized and rarely encountered outside of historical musicology.
From Middle English organizen, organysen, partly from Middle French organiser and partly from its etymon, Medieval Latin organizō, from Latin organum (“organ”). By surface analysis, organ + -ize.
- Verborganize
- Verbreorganize
- Nounorganization
- Nounorganizer
- Adjectiveorganized