executive order

noun

: regulation sense 2b

Examples of executive order in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And executive orders are famously impermanent. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

His latest executive order blocks state regulation and says only the federal government can determine AI regulation. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025

Trump signed an unprecedented executive order in March citing national security as the reason to strip many federal workers of their collective bargaining rights. —Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025

In the governor's five-page executive order signed Thursday, it's noted that the disruption will cause longer wait times for propane trucks, and limits on drivers' schedules could further exacerbate the problem. —Joe Brandt, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for executive order

• boarder
• border
• corder
• warder
• camcorder
• disorder
• recorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder

Legal Definition

executive order

noun

: an order issued by a government's executive on the basis of authority specifically granted to the executive branch (as by the U.S. Constitution or a congressional act)

the National Security Agency was created by an executive order

compare proclamation, statute

Note: An executive order from the president does not have the force of law until it is printed in the Federal Register.