standing orders

Cultural

Orders that remain in effect until they are specifically changed: “During the year in which the troops occupied the town, they were under standing orders not to fire unless fired upon.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dennis Dick saw the sudden jump in stocks and reflexively hit the red “Cancel All” button on his trading screen, instantly pulling all of his standing orders for stocks like Nvidia and Microsoft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

It says direct debits and standing orders are working normally.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2024

His group tried to get the FDA to approve a shortcut similar to the standing orders that enable pharmacists to deliver anti-influenza medications when there are flu outbreaks in nursing homes, Worz said.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2024

The investigation faulted commanders for miscommunication and "incorrect decision-making", the statement said, adding that the officer who fired in the air would be reprimanded for violating standing orders.

From Reuters • Jun. 14, 2023

He could have been reading from a set of standing orders.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023