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organize

A2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ˈɔːɡənˌaɪz/

US

  • /ˈɔrɡəˌnaɪz/

Meanings

Verb

  1. to put things into a neat, useful, or systematic order

  2. to plan and coordinate an activity, event, or set of tasks

  3. to form people into a formal group, especially a union or campaign

Beyond the definition

To organize something is like being the architect of your stuff—whether it's your closet, your thoughts, or even a whole event! It means arranging things into a logical structure so they're easier to find, use, or understand. A librarian organizes books by subject, and you might organize your day with a to-do list. Sometimes organizing isn't about things at all; you can also organize a protest, an investigation, or even just your ideas before writing an essay. Think of it as bringing order out of chaos!

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Examples

  1. 1

    Desk cleanup

    I need to organize my desk before I start working.

  2. 2

    File sorting

    Can you help me organize the files by date?

    • Patternorganize X by + category

      arrange X using that category

  3. 3

    Sorting into groups

    We organized the books into three piles: keep, donate, and sell.

    • Patternorganize X into groups

      divide X into groups in an orderly way

  4. 4

    Event planning

    Maya is organizing a birthday dinner for her sister.

More examples
  1. 5

    School meeting

    The school organized a meeting with parents after the storm.

  2. 6

    Speaking preparation

    Before the interview, he took a minute to organize his thoughts.

    • Phraseorganize your thoughts

      think clearly about what you want to say

  3. 7

    Semester preparation

    I’m trying to get organized before the semester starts.

    • Phraseget organized

      prepare and put things in order

  4. 8

    Labor organizing

    Workers at the cafe organized a union last year.

    • Phraseorganize a union

      form a workers' group to ask for better pay or conditions

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • organize files
  • organize information
  • organize a meeting
  • organize by category

Word family

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Forms and spellings

8 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • organizeAmericanverb

Forms

  • organizedAmericanpast tenseverb
  • organizingAmerican-ing formverb
  • organizesAmericanverb

Regional spellings

  • organisedBritishpast tenseverb
  • organiseBritishverb
  • organisingBritish-ing formverb
  • organisesBritishverb