executive order

noun

: regulation sense 2b

Examples of executive order in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The White House has said Friday's executive orders are intended to support American ranchers, increase competition in meat processing, improve market access for domestic producers and help lower food prices for consumers. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

LeVota issued an executive order supporting the tax program on July 4, and the Jackson County Legislature voted the following week to enshrine the program into law by adding it to the county code. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026

An initial executive order Trump issued last year to change election rules, including a requirement for people to show documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, was halted by federal judges. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Trump’s executive order also required the Department of Homeland Security to develop its own lists of eligible citizen voters, ostensibly to be compared against the state lists. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

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.