Organically

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ɔɹˈɡænɪkli/

Definitions

1. In a manner that occurs naturally and involves biological processes without synthetic intervention
2. Through approaches that foster relationships between ecosystems, avoiding artificial substances or methods
3. In a way that develops through natural biological growth without using artificial chemicals or additives ; by means that support ecological balance and sustainability without synthetic inputs

Etymology: Organically is an adverb built from "organic" plus the suffix "-ally," and it carries one of the more striking meaning shifts in modern food vocabulary. "Organic" began as a term for the living bodies and their parts: an organ was a tool or instrument, and something "organic" was something made of organs or working like them. The sense of carbon-based chemistry came much later, and the farming sense of produce grown without synthetic inputs is later still. The adverb is simply the form of "organic" that describes the manner of an action or process. The suffix traces back through Middle English "-ly" and Old English "-līċe," which were used to turn adjectives into adverbs, so "organically" means "in an organic manner." Its use in the sense of growing food without artificial chemicals is the more recent development.

Synonyms: naturally

Antonyms: artificially