First recorded in 1900–05
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
RH said revenue was hurt by about $45 million tied to higher backorder and special order balances, which were about $75 million higher than the year-ago period due to tariff-related resourcing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Instead, in early February, Justice Phil Berger Jr., Newby’s right-hand man and presumed heir on the court, circulated a draft of a special order agreeing to the rehearing, sources familiar with the matter said.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025
"It'll get introduced on Tuesday, be in a committee on Wednesday and then on the special order calendar on Thursday," he said.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2024
In the summer last year, Lucio Olmos Morales, the artisan who weaves vanilla on his porch, received a special order.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
He took the chess set, and there before the fire he arranged the pieces in their special order.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
He said he was most worried about potential delivery days for special-order bridal gowns for November and December weddings.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2024
No thermometer, no special-order invert sugars, no fancy molds.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2018
The fancy disposable fountain pens I had to special-order from art stores were there, as were newly released books, magazine subscriptions, and shampoo.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 12, 2018
You need to special-order the door, which may mean waiting several weeks for it to arrive.
From Washington Post ● May 13, 2016
That was another super-mom moment because after she talked to the new owner, they agreed to special-order the dish—just for me!
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
