View synonyms for

inorganic

[in-awr-gan-ik]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

not having the structure or organization characteristic of living bodies.
not characterized by vital processes.
Chemistry.��noting or pertaining to compounds that are not hydrocarbons or their derivatives.
not fundamental or related; extraneous.

inorganic

/ ˌɪ��ɔːˈɡæ��ɪ�� /

adjective

not having the structure or characteristics of living organisms; not organic
relating to or denoting chemical compounds that do not contain carbon Compare organic
not having a system, structure, or ordered relation of parts; amorphous
not resulting from or produced by growth; artificial
linguistics denoting or relating to a sound or letter introduced into the pronunciation or spelling of a word at some point in its history

inorganic

Not involving organisms or the products of their life processes.
Relating to chemical compounds that occur mainly outside of living or once living organisms, such as those in rocks, minerals, and ceramics. Most inorganic compounds lack carbon, such as salt (NaCl) and ammonia (NH ₃); a few, such as carbon dioxide (CO ₂), do contain it, but never attached to hydrogen atoms as in hydrocarbons. Inorganic molecules tend to have a relatively small number of atoms as compared with organic molecules.

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Other Word Forms

inorganically adverb
ˌ��Դǰ�ˈ��Ծ�� adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of inorganic¹

First recorded in 1785–95; in- ³ + organic

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Oftentimes at the ends of these processes, Bischoff’s workers will find inorganic remnants from the pets, such as microchips, metal plates or orthopedic screws.

From

The organic matter in a person’s body, I was told, vaporizes when burned hot enough, leaving behind the pulverized, inorganic substance we call ashes.

From

Its inorganic form is highly toxic and classified as a category one carcinogen by the EU - meaning it's known to cause cancer in humans.

From

This is true even when mixed with inorganic nanoparticles, which can be designed to exhibit intricate electric, magnetic or optical properties.

From

When the plant parts are exposed to oxygen and other substances, the organic carbon begins to decompose into inorganic carbon, which can be dissolved into carbonic acid in the water.

From

inorg.inorganic chemistry

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