in order
Idioms-
In proper sequence or arrangement, as in The children lined up in order of size , or Are the letters all in order? [c. 1400]
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Suitable, correct, appropriate, as in A few words on this subject are in order now . [Mid-1800s]
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See in short order .
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in order that . So that, to the end or purpose that, as in In order that Bob can meet my husband, we've come early . [Early 1700s]
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in order to . For the purpose of, as a means to, as in We'll have to hire more help in order to finish on time . This usage always precedes a verb, such as finish in the example. [c. 1700]
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.
But in order to survive the woods, Murphy will have to dig deep into his wartime past and rely on his own skills and smarts to make out it out intact.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
They were told they had to buy their portfolio photographs from the studio in order to join an agency and become an agency model.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The reason such strength constitutes a bubble warning is that investors have to be particularly exuberant in order to bid growth stocks higher in the wake of rising interest rates.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Under Utah law, a plaintiff must notify government defendants of a claim of loss, in order for a lawsuit to be considered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
I piled the straw on top of me and worked the treadle as if I were pumping in order to breathe.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
