Top Definitions
Synonyms
Quiz
Related Content
Examples
British
Scientific
Cultural
Idioms And Phrases

order

[ awr-der ]

/ ˈɔr dər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: order / ordered / ordering / orders on Thesaurus.com

noun

an authoritative direction or instruction; command; mandate.

a command of a court or judge.

a command or notice issued by a military organization or a military commander to troops, sailors, etc.

the disposition of things following one after another, as in space or time; succession or sequence: The names were listed in alphabetical order.

a condition in which each thing is properly disposed with reference to other things and to its purpose; methodical or harmonious arrangement: You must try to give order to your life.

formal disposition or array: the order of the troops.

proper, satisfactory, or working condition.

state or condition generally: His financial affairs were in good order.

conformity or obedience to law or established authority; absence of disturbance, riot, revolt, unruliness, etc.: A police officer was there to maintain order.

customary mode of procedure; established practice or usage.

the customary or prescribed mode of proceeding in debates or the like, or in the conduct of deliberative or legislative bodies, public meetings, etc.: At our board meetings we follow the parliamentary rules of order.

prevailing course or arrangement of things; established system or regime: The old order is changing.

conformity to the established system or regime.

a direction or commission to make, provide, or furnish something: The salesclerk will take your order.

a quantity of goods or items purchased or sold: The druggist is sending the order right over.

Grammar.

the arrangement of the elements of a construction in a particular sequence, as the placing of John before the verb and of George after it in John saw George.
the hierarchy of grammatical rules applying to a construction.
the rank of immediate constituents.

any of the nine grades of angels in medieval angelology.Compare angel (def. 1).

Mathematics.

degree, as in algebra.
the number of rows or columns of a square matrix or determinant.
the number of times a function has been differentiated to produce a given derivative: a second order derivative.
the order of the highest derivative appearing in a given differential equation: d2y/dx2 + 3y (dy/dx) − 6 = 0 is a differential equation of order two.
the number of elements of a given group.
the smallest positive integer such that a given element in a group raised to that integer equals the identity.
the least positive integer n such that permuting a given set n times under a given permutation results in the set in its original form.

any class, kind, or sort, as of persons or things, distinguished from others by nature or character:Such complex and difficult work calls for talents of a high order.

Biology. the usual major subdivision of a class or subclass in the classification of organisms, consisting of several families.

a rank, grade, or class of persons in a community.

a group or body of persons of the same profession, occupation, or pursuits: Rev. Thomas, Rabbi Feinman, and other members of the clerical order showed up at the town hall meeting.

a body or society of persons living by common consent under the same religious, moral, or social regulations.

Ecclesiastical. any of the degrees or grades of clerical office.Compare major order, minor order.

a monastic society or fraternity: He is a monk in the Franciscan order.

a written direction to pay money or deliver goods, given by a person legally entitled to dispose of it: delivery order;exchange order.

Architecture.

any arrangement of columns with an entablature.
any of five such arrangements typical of classical architecture, including the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders invented by the Greeks and adapted by the Romans, the Tuscan order, invented by the Romans, and the Composite order, first named during the Renaissance.
any of several concentric rings composing an arch, especially when each projects beyond the one below.

orders, the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.

Usually orders. the rite or sacrament of ordination.

a prescribed form of divine service or of administration of a rite or ceremony.

the service itself.

the visible structures essential or desirable to the nature of the church, involving especially ministry, polity, and sacraments.

a society or fraternity of knights, of combined military and monastic character, as, in the Middle Ages, the Knights Templars.

a modern organization or society more or less resembling the knightly orders: fraternal orders.

British.Order,

a special honor or rank conferred by a sovereign upon a person for distinguished achievement.
the insignia worn by such persons.

Chiefly British. a pass for admission to a theater, museum, or the like.

verb (used with object)

to give an order, direction, or command to: The infantry divisions were ordered to advance.

to direct or command to go or come as specified: to order a person out of one's house.

to prescribe: The doctor ordered rest for the patient.

to direct to be made, supplied, or furnished: to order a copy of a book.

to regulate, conduct, or manage: I need to order my life for greater leisure.

to arrange methodically or suitably: They ordered their chessmen for a game.

Mathematics. to arrange (the elements of a set) so that if one element precedes another, it cannot be preceded by the other or by elements that the other precedes.

to ordain, as God or fate does.

to invest with clerical rank or authority.

verb (used without object)

to give an order or issue orders: I wish to order, but the waiter is busy.

OTHER WORDS FOR order

1 ukase, ordinance, fiat, decree, injunction.

5 regularity.

21 degree.

23 fraternity, community.

37 instruct, bid, require, ordain.

41 run, operate; adjust, systematize.

See synonyms for order on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about order

a tall order, a very difficult or formidable task, requirement, or demand: Getting the crop harvested with so few hands to help was a tall order.Also a large order.

call to order, to begin (a meeting): The meeting was called to order at 3 o'clock.

in order,

fitting; appropriate: It appears that an apology is in order.
in a state of proper arrangement, preparation, or readiness: Everything is in order for the departure.
correct according to the rules of parliamentary procedure: Questions from the floor are now in order.

in order that, so that; to the end that: We ought to leave early in order that we may not miss the train.

in order to, as a means to; with the purpose of: She worked summers in order to save money for college.

in short order, with promptness or speed; rapidly: The merchandise arrived in short order.

on order, ordered but not yet received: We're out of stock in that item, but it's on order.

on the order of,

resembling to some extent; like: I would like a dress on the order of the one in the window.
approximately; about: On the order of 100,000 people attended the rally.

out of order,

inappropriate; unsuitable: His remark was certainly out of order.
not operating properly; in disrepair: The air conditioner is out of order again.
incorrect according to the rules of parliamentary procedure: The chairwoman told him that he was out of order.

to order, according to one's individual requirements or instructions: a suit made to order;carpeting cut to order.

Origin of order

First recorded in 1175–1225; noun Middle English ordre, order(e), from Old French ordre, from Latin ordin- (stem of ordō ) “row, rank, regular arrangement”; the verb is derivative of the noun

synonym study for order

37. See direct.

OTHER WORDS FROM order

or·der·a·ble, adjectiveor·der·er, nounor·der·less, adjectivecoun·ter·or·der, noun, verb

mis·or·der, verbpre·or·der, noun, verbun·or·der·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby order

ordained, ordainee, ordeal, ordeal bean, ordeal tree, order, order about, order arms, order bill of lading, order-driven, ordered

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use order in a sentence

In other words, a Paid Search agency like my own, must share certain data with advertisers in order to align itself with Google’s Third-Party policies.
This decade’s most important marketing question: What data rights do advertisers possess?|Kirk Williams|September 17, 2020|Search Engine Land
She described an “evolution” in judicial tolerance for such orders.
Courts may reconsider temporary coronavirus restrictions as pandemic drags on|Anne Gearan, Karin Brulliard|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Here’s a quick tour through 24 claims made at the Philadelphia town hall, in the order in which he answered questions.
Trump’s ABC News town hall: Four Pinocchios, over and over again|Glenn Kessler|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Both Watches are up for order today and start shipping on Friday.
Apple just announced a new iPad, iPad Air, and Apple Watch Series 6|Stan Horazek|September 15, 2020|Popular-Science

Some of those processes could produce trace amounts of phosphine, the team found, but orders of magnitude less than the team detected.
Phosphine gas found in Venus’ atmosphere may be ‘a possible sign of life’|Lisa Grossman|September 14, 2020|Science News
And in order for them to realize their vision, they are willing to use any means.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He could order the Justice Department to begin the necessary regulatory work.
Obama’s Pot Policy Is Refer Madness|James Poulos|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So, in an unusual order (PDF) issued on New Years Day, District Judge Robert Hinkle clarified the issue.
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally Over|Jay Michaelson|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So working with the militants in order to deliver aid “becomes a requirement,” she said.
ISIS Fight Has a Spy Shortage, Intel Chair Says|Kimberly Dozier|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Just how many fake nodes would be needed in order to pull off a successful Sybil attack against Tor is not known.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the thirteenth of the same month they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two religious in his house.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Now this setting up of an orderly law-abiding self seems to me to imply that there are impulses which make for order.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Dockier, a prominent leader of the Levelers, in the times of the English commonwealth, was shot by order of the government.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Yet if there is a measure of untruth in such pretty flatteries, one needs to be superhuman in order to condemn them harshly.
Children's Ways|James Sully

British Dictionary definitions for order

order

/ (ˈɔːdə) /

noun

a state in which all components or elements are arranged logically, comprehensibly, or naturally

an arrangement or disposition of things in succession; sequencealphabetical order

an established or customary method or state, esp of society

a peaceful or harmonious condition of societyorder reigned in the streets

(often plural) a class, rank, or hierarchythe lower orders

biology any of the taxonomic groups into which a class is divided and which contains one or more families. Carnivora, Primates, and Rodentia are three orders of the class Mammalia

an instruction that must be obeyed; command

a decision or direction of a court or judge entered on the court record but not included in the final judgment

a commission or instruction to produce or supply something in return for payment
the commodity produced or supplied
(as modifier)order form

a procedure followed by an assembly, meeting, etc

(capital when part of a name) a body of people united in a particular aim or purpose

Also called: religious order (usually capital) a group of persons who bind themselves by vows in order to devote themselves to the pursuit of religious aims

history a society of knights constituted as a fraternity, such as the Knights Templars

a group of people holding a specific honour for service or merit, conferred on them by a sovereign or state
the insignia of such a group

any of the five major classical styles of architecture classified by the style of columns and entablatures usedSee also Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, composite (def. 4)
any style of architecture

Christianity

the sacrament by which bishops, priests, etc, have their offices conferred upon them
any of the degrees into which the ministry is divided
the office of an ordained Christian minister

a form of Christian Church service prescribed to be used on specific occasions

Judaism one of the six sections of the Mishna or the corresponding tractates of the Talmud

maths

the number of times a function must be differentiated to obtain a given derivative
the order of the highest derivative in a differential equation
the number of rows or columns in a determinant or square matrix
the number of members of a finite group

short for order of magnitude

the order military the dress, equipment, or formation directed for a particular purpose or undertakingdrill order; battle order

a tall order something difficult, demanding, or exacting

in order

in sequence
properly arranged
appropriate or fitting

in order to (preposition; foll by an infinitive) so that it is possible toto eat in order to live

in order that (conjunction) with the purpose that; so that

keep order to maintain or enforce order

of the order of or in the order of having an approximately specified size or quantity

on order having been ordered or commissioned but not having been delivered

out of order

not in sequence
not working
not following the rules or customary procedure

to order

according to a buyer's specifications
on request or demand

verb

(tr) to give a command to (a person or animal to do or be something)

to request (something) to be supplied or made, esp in return for paymenthe ordered a hamburger

(tr) to instruct or command to move, go, etc (to a specified place)they ordered her into the house

(tr; may take a clause as object) to authorize; prescribethe doctor ordered a strict diet

(tr) to arrange, regulate, or dispose (articles) in their proper places

(of fate or the gods) to will; ordain

(tr) rare to ordain

interjection

an exclamation of protest against an infringement of established procedure

an exclamation demanding that orderly behaviour be restored

Derived forms of order

orderer, nounorderless, adjective

Word Origin for order

C13: from Old French ordre, from Latin ordō

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

Scientific definitions for order

order

[ ôr′dər ]

A group of organisms ranking above a family and below a class. See Table at taxonomy.

Cultural definitions for order

order

In biology, the classification lower than a class and higher than a family. Dogs and cats belong to the order of carnivores; human beings, monkeys, and apes belong to the order of primates. Flies and mosquitoes belong to the same order; so do birch trees and oak trees. (See Linnean classification.)

Other Idioms and Phrases with order

order

In addition to the idioms beginning with order

order of the day, the
order someone about

also see:

apple-pie order
back order
call to order
in order
in short order
just what the doctor ordered
law and order
made to order
marching orders
on order
on the order of
out of order
pecking order
put one's house in order
short order
standing orders
tall order
to order

order

OTHER WORDS FOR order

Idioms about order

Origin of order

synonym study for order

OTHER WORDS FROM order

Words nearby order

Words related to order

How to use order in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for order

Derived forms of order

Word Origin for order

Scientific definitions for order

Cultural definitions for order

Other Idioms and Phrases with order