inorganic
inorganic Lexical Profile
inorganic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not consisting of or deriving from living matter; inanimate or nonliving.
"The rover analyzed the soil for any trace of microbes among the inorganic minerals and rocks."
Relating to or denoting chemical compounds that are not organic, broadly those that do not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, or the branch of chemistry concerned with them.
"During her second semester at university, she completed an intensive laboratory course in inorganic chemistry."
Not arising through natural growth or internal development; artificial, forced, or resulting from external acquisitions rather than internal expansion.
"The corporation relied heavily on inorganic growth by acquiring smaller regional competitors."
Word Nuance & Usage
In chemistry, 'inorganic' refers specifically to compounds that generally lack carbon-hydrogen bonds, whereas in everyday business or general contexts, it describes growth or development achieved through external mergers rather than internal expansion.
• Rhymes for inorganic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 18th century from the privative prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not') and 'organic', which derives via Latin 'organicus' from Ancient Greek 'organikos' ('relating to an instrument or organ').