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definitions

ordinal

1
[awr-dn-uh l]
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adjective

of or relating to an order, as of animals or plants.
of or relating to order, rank, or position in a series.

noun

an ordinal number or numeral.

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RELATED WORDS

sum, total, figure, statistic, count, digit, emblem, prime, symbol, character, sign, cipher, cardinal, fraction, representation, numeral, googol, numerator, integer, denominator

Origin of ordinal

1
1590–1600; < Late Latin ōrdinālis in order equivalent to Latin ōrdin- (stem of ōrdō) order + -ālis -al1
Related formsor·di·nal·ly, adverb

ordinal

2
[awr-dn-uh l]

noun

a directory of ecclesiastical services.
a book containing the forms for the ordination of priests, consecration of bishops, etc.

Origin of ordinal

2
1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin ōrdināle, noun use of neuter of ōrdinālis in order. See ordinal1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ordinal

Historical Examples of ordinal

British Dictionary definitions for ordinal

ordinal

adjective

denoting a certain position in a sequence of numbers
of, relating to, or characteristic of an order in biological classification

noun

short for ordinal number
a book containing the forms of services for the ordination of ministers
RC Church a service book

Word Origin for ordinal

C14: (in the sense: orderly): from Late Latin ordinalis denoting order or place in a series, from Latin ordō order
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
Word Origin and History for ordinal
n.

early 14c., "book setting forth the order of services in the Church," from Late Latin adjective ordinalis (see ordinal (adj.)).

adj.

late 14c., "regular, ordinary," from Old French ordinel and directly from Late Latin ordinalis ""showing order, denoting an order of succession," from Latin ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, series" (see order (n.)). Meaning "marking position in an order or series" is from 1590s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper