Inorganically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that is not related to living organisms or biological processes ; through synthetic, chemical, or nonnatural methods
2. Describing actions or processes that lack biological origin or life involvement ; done using man-made or chemically induced means
3. Expressing something done without biological basis or involvement of life forms ; accomplished by artificial or chemical procedures

Etymology: Inorganically is a plain formation: the adjective "inorganic" with the adverbial ending "-ally" added. The prefix "in-" means "not," and "organic" comes from the Latin "organicus," which in turn came from the Greek "organikos," relating to an organon, or instrument and tool. Over time, "organic" came to describe living bodies and their structures, so "inorganic" came to mean "not composed of living tissue." The "-al" ending in "inorganical" entered English from Old French and Latin, and "-ly," from Old English "-lice," turns it into an adverb describing the manner in which something is done. The adverb follows the same logic as its adjective. Something done inorganically is done without living matter or biological processes, such as a synthesized compound produced in a laboratory. The word's history is therefore mostly a story of how "organic" narrowed from a general sense of "having organs or tools" to a specifically biological one.

Synonyms: artificially

Antonyms: organically