Explanation
When you do organize something alphabetically, you arrange it in order of the letters of the alphabet. The fiction section of the library sorts books alphabetically by the author's last name. Dictionaries and encyclopedias are organized alphabetically, so that it's easy to find the word you're looking for. Some home cooks arrange their cookbook collection alphabetically by title, while others might place them on the shelf by color instead. The word alphabetically comes from alphabet, which is rooted in the first two Greek letters — arranged alphabetically, by the way — alpha and beta.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Lin arranged the names in death order, rather than alphabetically, making the roster a heartbreaking timeline of the war itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Here are the S&P 500’s sectors listed alphabetically, with forward P/E along with revenue and EPS growth projections, so you can see how the numbers compare with those for the 15 stocks:
From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026
Top of the heap, alphabetically at least, is Australia – who are sending actual pop royalty Delta Goodrem to Vienna.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
The following 17 Times staff writers and columnists, listed alphabetically, share their favorite sports stories from 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
“Your final rite of passage requires you to retrieve your name without being bitten by one of the snakes. We will proceed alphabetically, by surname.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
