executive order

noun

: regulation sense 2b

Examples of executive order in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those that are affected will likely now be covered by a new 10% tariff imposed by an executive order Trump signed Friday. —Kim Tong-Hyung, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026

Those that are affected will probably now be covered by a new tariff imposed by an executive order Trump signed Friday. —Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026

If established through an executive order, the department would be a division of the mayor’s office and not a permanent fixture of city government. —Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026

The legislation codifies an executive order Reynolds issued last year. —Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 20 Feb. 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.