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Glite Dictionary
organic evolution

organic evolution

1 4.7
Living things change slowly over many years to form new species
  • noun
  • /ɔrˈɡænɪk ˌiːvəˈluːʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : evolución orgánica
  • The fossil record provides evidence of organic evolution, showcasing how species have changed over time.

But digital evolution is billions of times faster than organic evolution.

Examples

  • All life has made the same journey of organic evolution.

    Academic text (1994)

  • " It is naturally in the domain of social and organic evolution that the imagination finds its greatest scope."

    Blog text (28)

  • The SSE is the world's largest organization of evolutionary science, comprising 2,900 members in 50 countries who seek to promote "the study of organic evolution and the integration of the various fields of science concerned with evolution" (http: **41;3090;TOOLONG).

    Academic text (2006)

  • Darwin's theory of natural selection explains the mechanisms of organic evolution over millions of years.

  • Understanding organic evolution helps explain the diversity of life we see on Earth today.

Synonyms

evolution
vsorganic evolution
  • Specialized
377 4.4

Gradual change in living things over many generations caused by nature

focuses specifically on gradual change that creates new species over time
evolutionary change
vsorganic evolution
4 4.4

A slow process of change and development by small steps over time

is specific to living organisms and the formation of new species over time
macroevolution
vsorganic evolution
  • Specialized
1 9.3

Large changes in living things over millions of years that make new groups such as mammals

concerns gradual change leading to new species rather than above species groups
evolvement
vsorganic evolution
1 6.4

A gradual change that makes something more advanced or complex

applies specifically to living organisms and formation of new species
anamorphosis
vsorganic evolution
  • Specialized
9.9

A slow change where one kind of living thing becomes another over a long time

is broader, naming gradual change that leads to new species generally
anamorphism
vsorganic evolution
  • Specialized
9.9

Slow change of a living thing into a different kind over a long time

is broader, naming gradual change that leads to new species generally
phylogenesis
vsorganic evolution
  • Specialized
9.9

The way a group of living things changes over a long time to form new species

focuses more narrowly on gradual change that produces new species over time

Antonyms

stagnation
1 6.5

Still water that does not move in pipes or lakes, causing poor quality

Surface Forms

organic evolution singular
organic evolutions plural

Morphology

organic + evolution

The meaning 'the evolution of living organisms' follows directly from combining 'organic' (relating to living things) with 'evolution' (gradual change over time). While 'organic' has other senses (e.g., natural, chemical), in this collocation the biological sense is predictable and cross-linguistically parallel, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand it.

Etymology

Organic evolution links organic (meaning 'living') and evolution ('change over time'). Early scientists used the picture of small changes in plants and animals adding up over many years, so today the phrase means the slow development of new species.