inorganic Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective relating or belonging to the class of compounds not having a carbon basis
    • hydrochloric and sulfuric acids are called inorganic substances
  2. adjective lacking the properties characteristic of living organisms

WordNet

In`or*gan"ic adjective
Etymology
Pref. in- not + organic: cf. F. inorganique.
Definitions
  1. Not organic; without the organs necessary for life; devoid of an organized structure; unorganized; lifeness; inanimate; as, all chemical compounds are inorganic substances. ✍ The term inorganic is used to denote any one the large series of substances (as minerals, metals, etc.), which are not directly connected with vital processes, either in origin or nature, and which are broadly and relatively contrasted with organic subscances. See Organic.

Webster 1913