ordonnance

[ awr-dn-uhns; French awr-daw-nahns ]

/ ˈɔr dn əns; French ɔr dɔˈnɑ̃s /

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noun, plural or·don·nanc·es

[awr-dn-uhn-siz; French awr-daw-nahns]. /ˈɔr dn ən sɪz; French ɔr dɔˈnɑ̃s/.

the arrangement or disposition of parts, as of a building, picture, or literary work.

an ordinance, decree, or law.

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Origin of ordonnance

1635–45; <French, alteration of Old French ordenanceordinance, by influence of donner to give

OTHER WORDS FROM ordonnance

or·don·nant, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ordonnance

ordinance, ordnance, ordonnance

Words nearby ordonnance

ordnance, ordnance datum, Ordnance Survey, ordo, Ordóñez, ordonnance, Ordos, Ordovician, ordure, Ordzhonikidze, ore

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

How to use ordonnance in a sentence

In the general arrangement, in the ordonnance, late Gothic caprice and fantastic love of the unforeseen rule triumphant.
The Brochure Series of Architectural Illustration, vol. 06, No. 10, October 1900|Various
The ordonnance of April 15, 1694, reveals the broad character of this "General" Hospital.
Montreal 1535-1914 under the French Rgime|William Henry Atherton
Sportsmen may learn that partridge shooting was prohibited between March 15th and July 15th by an ordonnance of MM.
Montreal 1535-1914 under the French Rgime|William Henry Atherton
The same variety is found in the arrangement, or ordonnance, of the columns, both in the interior and exterior of their buildings.
A History of Art in Ancient Egypt, Vol. II (of 2)|Georges Perrot

These companies of ordonnance have ever been regarded as the foundation of the French standing army.
The History of Chivalry, Volume II (of 2)|Charles Mills

British Dictionary definitions for ordonnance

ordonnance

/ (ˈɔːdənəns, French ɔrdɔnɑ̃s) /

noun

the proper disposition of the elements of a building or an artistic or literary composition

an ordinance, law, or decree, esp in French law

Word Origin for ordonnance

C17: from Old French ordenance arrangement, influenced by ordonner to 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