open order

American

noun

Military.

a troop formation for drill or basic combat training, the intervals between the individuals being greater than those in close order.

open order British

noun

military a formation that allows additional space between the ranks of a guard or inspected unit to allow the inspecting officer to pass

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of open order

First recorded in 1615–25

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.

See Examples For:

open order

He said he has an open order with the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2025

The four leaders also reaffirmed support for free and open order rooted in international law.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2021

Leonard gave an open order: keep going; if you reach the river try to establish a crossing and hold it.

From Time Magazine Archive

With hounds questing ahead, in open order, the sons of Autolykos went down a glen, Odysseus in the lead, behind the dogs, pointing his long-shadowing spear.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

The beach is carried with cold steel, and in open order they dive into the scrub and scramble up the hundred feet of cliff that rises before them.

From The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 3 (of 10) by James Edward Parrott

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023