organized

organized — adjective

1. put in clear order, with parts grouped and placed by a plan or method

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

put in clear order, with parts grouped and placed by a plan or method

Example

The museum keeps its photo files organized by year and city.

organized by + category

Small spice jars looked organized on the shelf above the stove.

Common collocations
  • organized by date
  • organized into files
  • organized shelf
  • organized chart
Synonyms
  • arranged

    a broad word for things put in a chosen order

  • sorted

    stresses dividing things into groups or classes

  • tidy

    often focuses more on neat appearance than on system

  • systematic

    more formal, often used for methods or records

Antonyms
  • messy

    common for things that are untidy or badly arranged

  • disordered

    suggests lack of proper arrangement

  • scattered

    stresses things being spread around in no clear order

Grammar Patterns

organized by year

organized into sections

an organized shelf

Usage Note

Often followed by a by or into phrase that shows the system used. Distinguish from adjective/2, which describes a person's habits rather than the arrangement of things.

2. good at planning tasks, managing time, and keeping things neat

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

good at planning tasks, managing time, and keeping things neat

Example

Nina is organized, so bills never pile up on her desk.

be organized for personal habits

Even during finals, Daniel stayed organized with a weekly task list.

stay organized with a list

Common collocations
  • organized person
  • stay organized
  • organized student
  • highly organized worker
Synonyms
  • methodical

    stresses doing things step by step in a careful way

  • efficient

    focuses on getting good results with little wasted time

  • tidy

    can suggest neat habits, but usually says less about planning

  • prepared

    focuses on being ready, not on overall order

Antonyms
  • disorganized

    the direct opposite for poor planning and poor order

  • forgetful

    focuses on memory problems rather than untidiness

  • careless

    stresses lack of attention, not just lack of order

Grammar Patterns

be organized

stay organized

organized enough to finish early

Usage Note

Usually describes a person's habit of planning and keeping things under control, often after be, stay, or get. Distinguish from adjective/1, which is about the arrangement of things.

Common Mistakes

My brother is organized in class, so he never shouts.
My brother is orderly in class, and organized at home.
organized is about planning and tidiness; orderly is about calm behavior in a group.

3. prepared in advance so people can join the trip or activity without arranging it

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

prepared in advance so people can join the trip or activity without arranging it themselves

Example

We booked an organized tour of Tainan for the holiday weekend.

organized + tour

The school offers organized visits to the science museum each spring.

organized visits for a group

Common collocations
  • organized tour
  • organized visit
  • organized trip
  • organized activity
Synonyms
  • planned

    broader and does not always suggest a group arrangement

  • prearranged

    more formal and stresses that the details were fixed earlier

  • scheduled

    narrower, focusing mainly on fixed times

Antonyms
  • unplanned

    shows that arrangements were not made earlier

  • independent

    for travel arranged by yourself rather than by a group

Grammar Patterns

an organized tour

organized visits to a museum

an organized bus trip

Usage Note

Usually before nouns such as tour, visit, trip, and activity. It suggests that another person or company planned the details for the group.

Common Mistakes

We took an organized trip, so we planned every hotel ourselves.
We took an organized trip, so the company planned the hotels for us.
In this sense, organized means the main arrangements were already made by someone else.

4. working as a planned group or system, with people acting together for the same p

4.adjectiveC1
Definition

working as a planned group or system, with people acting together for the same purpose

Example

The town faced organized protests after the factory cut local jobs.

organized + collective action noun

Police found an organized phone theft group near the station.

organized group with planned activity

Common collocations
  • organized protest
  • organized theft group
  • organized rescue team
  • organized network
Synonyms
  • coordinated

    stresses people or parts working together effectively

  • structured

    focuses on having a clear system or framework

  • systematic

    suggests planned and regular action, often in a formal context

  • collective

    stresses group action, but not always careful planning

Antonyms
  • disorganized

    shows lack of planning or shared control

  • chaotic

    stronger, suggesting confusion and no real order

  • uncoordinated

    stresses failure of people or parts to work together

Grammar Patterns

organized protest

organized rescue team

an organized network

Usage Note

Often used with nouns for group action, such as protest, crime, rescue, or network. Distinguish from adjective/1, which can describe tidy objects without any group coordination.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

For adjective/2, organized is the broad everyday word for a person who plans ahead, keeps things in order, and does not lose control of tasks. Methodical is narrower and stresses doing things step by step, sometimes a little slowly. Efficient focuses on results and saving time, so someone can be efficient without having a neat desk. Tidy is often about appearance or a clean room, though it can suggest careful habits. Systematic is more formal and often used for work, study, or record-keeping. You can say, "Nina is organized, so she pays every bill on time," but "The lab kept systematic records" and "Ken is efficient in meetings."

methodicalefficient ↗tidy ↗systematic ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • highly organized
  • well organized

Phrases

  • get organized
  • stay organized

Prepositions

  • organized by
  • organized into
  • organized around

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Organized is built from the verb organize plus the ending -ed. Organize reached English through French and Latin forms that go back to Greek organon, meaning a tool or instrument. The older idea was of parts being fitted for a purpose, which developed into the modern sense of putting things in order or making people work together in a planned way.