executive order

American  

noun

(often initial capital letters)

• executive orders
  plural

1. an order having the force of law issued by the president of the U.S. to the army, navy, or other part of the executive branch of the government.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• executive orders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of executive order

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

executive order

A second part of the executive order directs DHS to create its own lists, which would be made available to the states.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

“This is going to be wild,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in the Oval Office when Trump signed a January executive order.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday signed an executive order placing strict guardrails on new data centers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

I asked the CDC for her view on the executive order, but received no reply.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

That March, the president issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination in the federal government on the basis of race, religion, or national origin.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson