non-organic

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Not grown or produced with organic methods; using chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

   Grammar: Comes before a noun: non-organic vegetables. It can also stand alone after a verb: The farm is non-organic.

   Patterns

   • non-organic food
   • non-organic produce
   • non-organic farming

   The label clearly says the apples are non-organic, so they may contain pesticide residue.

   She prefers organic milk, but the store was out, so she bought non-organic instead.

   Non-organic farming often uses synthetic fertilizers to increase crop yields.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nountechnical

   Not relating to or derived from living organisms; not organic in a scientific sense.

   Grammar: Used mainly in technical or scientific contexts: non-organic matter.

   Patterns

   • non-organic matter
   • non-organic compounds

   The soil sample contained both organic and non-organic particles.

   In chemistry, non-organic compounds are usually studied separately from carbon-based ones.

Common combinations

non-organic food

Non-organic food is often cheaper than organic food.

non-organic produce

The market sells both organic and non-organic produce.

non-organic ingredients

The cereal contains a small amount of non-organic ingredients.

non-organic farming

Non-organic farming relies on chemical pesticides.

Synonyms and how they differ

conventional

In farming, conventional means using standard chemical methods; non-organic is a direct opposite of organic and is more neutral.

inorganic

Inorganic is used in chemistry for substances not based on carbon; non-organic is broader and common in food contexts.

Opposites

Word family

organic adjective

Grown or produced without chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

organically adverb

In a way that uses organic methods.

Commonly confused: non-organic or inorganic?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “non-organic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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