ordinance

American  

[awr-dn-uhns] / ˈɔr dn əns /

noun

ordinances plural

1. an authoritative rule or law; a decree or command.

   Synonyms:

   order

2. a public injunction or regulation.

   a city ordinance against excessive horn blowing.

   Synonyms:

   order

3. something believed to have been ordained, as by a deity or destiny.

4. Ecclesiastical.

   1. an established rite or ceremony.

   2. a sacrament.

   3. the communion.

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ordinance British  

/ ˈɔːdɪnəns /

noun

1. an authoritative regulation, decree, law, or practice

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preordinance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ordinances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ordinance

1275–1325; Middle English ordinaunce (< Old French ordenance ) < Medieval Latin ordinantia, derivative of Latin ordinant- (stem of ordināns ), present participle of ordināre to arrange. See ordination, -ance

Explanation

An ordinance is a local law. Many cities have recently passed ordinances making it illegal to smoke indoors or mandatory for pet owners to curb their dogs. Ordinance can also mean the act of making someone a priest. In both senses, it means a direction or command coming down from a higher authority or an official conference. If you break an ordinance, you'll likely be fined rather than jailed. Remember that an ordinance is a rule meant to keep things in order.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ordinance ordinances

Under pressure from the community, the city reversed course, notifying the district on June 25 that the project would be subject to the tree protection ordinance and permits would be required.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

They are gathering signatures for a petition to put the ordinance to a citywide referendum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Candidates receiving the funding must abide by expenditure limits and adhere to the criteria set by statute, ordinance or charter to demonstrate broad support, such as demonstrate a large number of small dollar contributions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

To check whether specific parcels are included in the ordinance, follow this link and check the box that says “Opportunity Station Sites Eligible for Low Rise.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

“Laughing is against the law. Don’t you have a rule book? It’s local ordinance 574381-W.”

From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster

As the ecology director at the nonprofit Climate Revolution Action Network, the 20-year-old has helped put a stop to multiple data centers across New Jersey and pushed for ordinances to ban their construction altogether.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

Rules required minimum lot sizes of 5,750 square feet for single-family homes, and strict single-family zoning ordinances were criticized for creating sprawl.

From Barron's ● May 31, 2026

And city ordinances don’t trump First Amendment rights.

From Slate ● May 4, 2026

Both state and federal safeguards already exist to govern data use and prevent pricing coordination, making local ordinances targeting software redundant and potentially counterproductive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

Instead of limiting the number of animals, cities could make ordinances to keep people from hoarding chickens in living rooms.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby