order

verb or·der \ ˈȯr-dər \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of order

ordered; ordering play \ˈȯr-d(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to put in order : arrange

The books are ordered alphabetically by author.

2 a : to give an order to : command

They ordered everyone out of the house.

b : destine, ordain

so ordered by the gods

c : to command to go or come to a specified place

ordered back to the base

d : to give an order for

order a meal

I ordered the books from the company's website.

The judge ordered a new trial.

intransitive verb

1 : to bring about order : regulate

a renascence of the spirit that orders and controls
—H. G. Wells

2 a : to issue orders : command

The general orders and soldiers obey.

b : to give or place an order

Be sure to order before it's too late.

—

orderable

play \ˈȯr-d(ə-)rə-bəl\ adjective

—

orderer

play \ˈȯr-dər-ər\ noun

See order defined for English-language learners

See order defined for kids

Examples of order in a Sentence

They ordered everyone out of the house.
The soldiers were ordered back to the base.
“Stop! Drop your weapon!” ordered the officer.
The court threw out the conviction and ordered a new trial.
The judge ordered that the charges be dismissed.
He was accused of ordering the murder of his wife.
I ordered the books from the company's Web site.
The shirt you ordered should arrive in the mail in a couple of days.
To order, call the number at the bottom of your screen.
Order now and receive a free gift!

Recent Examples of order from the Web

The documents were court-ordered to be released to the public.

— ryan gaydos, Fox News, "Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock ranted about FEMA camps, Waco before concert massacre, witnesses say," 17 May 2018
The new law allows judges to order the return of the deposit plus $1,600 in penalties, for a possible judgment of $2,400.

— richard a. webster, NOLA.com, "Louisiana landlords to face stiffer penalties for withholding security deposits," 16 May 2018
Catfish filets, available as a platter with sides ($14) or in po’ boy form ($10), are aggressively spiced and fried to order in a giant cast iron pan.

— dominic armato, azcentral, "Eat Here First in May: 3 new restaurants to try before everybody else does," 15 May 2018
For more information or to order tickets, call 860-917-6348.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Killingly Edition," 15 May 2018
Instead, judges tend to order revisions to environmental documents as building continues.

— emily cadei and ryan sabalow, sacbee, "A ban on Delta tunnels lawsuits slips into federal spending plan | The Sacramento Bee," 15 May 2018
To order a regular Real Doll or a robot, buyers first choose a body type and size; the dolls start at five-foot-one and go to five-foot-ten.

— allison p. davis, The Cut, "Are We Ready for Robot Sex?," 13 May 2018
Ideally, doctors and officials say, an emergency room is only a brief stopping point for a psychiatric patient on the way to longer-term care, voluntary or court-ordered.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s only psychiatric emergency room is overflowing. It’s a sign of a system breaking down.," 11 May 2018
Gabrielle Union’s character, Shaun, is under attack in the driveway where she’s been attempting to order pizza for her two kids.

— lindsey bahr, Detroit Free Press, "Review: Gabrielle Union does her best with ‘Breaking In’," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'order.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of order

Middle English, from ordre, noun

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

order Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of order

order, arrange, marshal, organize, systematize, methodize mean to put persons or things into their proper places in relation to each other. order suggests a straightening out so as to eliminate confusion.

- ordered her business affairs

arrange implies a setting in sequence, relationship, or adjustment.

- arranged the files numerically

marshal suggests gathering and arranging in preparation for a particular operation or effective use.

- marshaling the facts for argument

organize implies arranging so that the whole aggregate works as a unit with each element having a proper function.

- organized the volunteers into teams

systematize implies arranging according to a predetermined scheme.

- systematized billing procedures

methodize suggests imposing an orderly procedure rather than a fixed scheme.

- methodizes every aspect of daily living

synonyms see in addition command

order

noun

Definition of order

1 a : a group of people united in a formal way: such as

(1) : a fraternal society

the Masonic Order

(2) : a community under a religious rule; especially : one requiring members to take solemn vows

b : a badge or medal of such a society; also : a military decoration

2 a : any of the several grades of the Christian ministry

b orders plural : the office of a person in the Christian ministry

c orders plural : ordination

3 a : a rank, class, or special group in a community or society

b : a class of persons or things grouped according to quality, value, or natural characteristics: such as

(1) : a category of taxonomic classification ranking above the family and below the class

(2) : the broadest category in soil classification

4 a (1) : rank, level

a statesman of the first order

(2) : category, class

in emergencies of this order
—R. B. Westerfield

b (1) : the arrangement or sequence of objects or of events in time

listed the items in order of importance

the batting order

(2) : a sequential arrangement of mathematical elements

c : degree 12a

d (1) : the number of times differentiation is applied successively

derivatives of higher order

(2) of a differential equation : the order of the derivative of highest order

e : the number of columns or rows or columns and rows in a magic square, determinant, or matrix

the order of a matrix with 2 rows and 3 columns is 2 by 3

f : the number of elements in a finite mathematical group

5 a (1) : a sociopolitical system

was opposed to changes in the established order

(2) : a particular sphere or aspect of a sociopolitical system

the present economic order

b : a regular or harmonious arrangement

the order of nature

6 a : a prescribed form of a religious service : rite

b : the customary mode of procedure especially in debate

point of order

7 a : the state of peace, freedom from confused or unruly behavior, and respect for law or proper authority

promised to restore law and order

b : a specific rule, regulation, or authoritative direction : command

8 a : a style of building

b : a type of column and entablature forming the unit of a style

9 a : state or condition especially with regard to functioning or repair

things were in terrible order

b : a proper, orderly, or functioning condition

their passports were in order

the phone is out of order

10 a : a written direction to pay money to someone

b : a commission to purchase, sell, or supply goods or to perform work

c : goods or items bought or sold

d : an assigned or requested undertaking

landing men on the moon was a tall order

11 : order of the day

flat roofs were the order in the small villages

—

orderless

play \ˈȯr-dər-ləs\ adjective

— in order

: appropriate, desirable

an apology is in order

— in order to

: for the purpose of

— on order

: in the process of being ordered

— on the order of

1 : after the fashion of : like

a genius on the order of Newton
—D. B. Botkin

2 : about, approximately

spent on the order of two million dollars

— to order

: according to the specifications of an order

shoes made to order

See order defined for English-language learners

Examples of order in a Sentence

That's an order, not a request!
Failing to comply with an order will result in the loss of your job.
She received an order to appear in court.
They can't close down the school without an order from the governor's office.
The mayor gave an order to evacuate the city.
It's not his fault. He was only following orders.
I'm not taking orders from you! You're not my boss.
The city was evacuated by order of the mayor.
The store received an order for 200 roses this morning.
They had trouble filling large customer orders.

Recent Examples of order from the Web

Mia studied creative writing and Anthony visual arts, but alphabetical order put them in the same advisory period.

— Philly.com, "Philadelphia weddings: Mia Cammisa and Anthony Briglia," 18 May 2018
But starting in late 2027, the board can impose fines of $1,000 a day on agencies that violate orders.

— bettina boxall, latimes.com, "California moves closer to crafting specific water caps for urban districts," 18 May 2018
Among Trump’s many issues with Amazon and Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, is the arrangement with the U.S. Postal Service — one of Amazon’s main partners in delivering orders to customer doors.

— jason del rey, Recode, "It looks like President Trump’s attacks on Amazon go beyond tweets — he reportedly lobbied the USPS to double delivery rates," 18 May 2018
When the Panthers appeared on the scene with their bandoliers, berets, and guns, they were immediately framed as a threat to the system of law and order in America.

— nicole hemmer, Vox, "The government prosecution of a “black identity extremist” fell apart. Meanwhile, white supremacists are on the march.," 18 May 2018
Nevertheless, when the pressure is on and both are barking orders to their teams from the sidelines who knows what could happen.

— aimee lewis, CNN, "FA Cup final offers as much tradition and intrigue as a royal wedding," 18 May 2018
To mark the opening of the new Katy store, U'Maki will offer 20 percent off all orders through May 25.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "New U’Maki Sushi Burrito opens in Katy," 18 May 2018
From Australia to Ohio, Crown Jewels has been inundated with orders.

— jennifer hassan, Washington Post, "Condoms ‘fit for a prince’ and Meghan’s face on a swimsuit: Royal wedding merchandise is out of control," 17 May 2018
Aircraft industry analysts say Boeing might possibly work with its customers to shift orders and sell another 10 jets a year to China.

— lingling wei, WSJ, "U.S. Farms, Factories Can’t Produce Enough to Meet White House Goal to Cut China Deficit," 17 May 2018

Illustration of order

Origin and Etymology of order

Middle English, from Anglo-French ordre, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin ordin-, ordo ecclesiastical order, from Latin, arrangement, group, class; akin to Latin ordiri to lay the warp, begin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

order Synonyms

Synonyms

association, board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild (also gild), institute, institution, league, organization, society, sodality;

alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership;

body, cadre, group;

circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, lot, set;

crew, outfit, party, squad, team;

branch, chapter, local;

faithful, fold, membership;

sisterhood, sorority;

cabal, confederacy, conspiracy;

band, gang, ring;

cartel, combine, syndicate;

Financial Definition of ORDER

alternative order

noun

What It Is

An alternative order is a group of limit orders linked together within a brokerage account. If one order is executed, all other linked orders are automatically canceled.

How It Works

Sometimes called an "either-or" order or a "one-cancels-all" order, an alternative order essentially gives an investor the choice to buy one out of a number of different stocks for the best price in the shortest amount of time.

If an order is partially filled, the remaining orders will be reduced proportionately to the remaining quantity of the unfilled order. If the customer cancels an order before the execution, all orders will be canceled. If the system cancels or rejects the order, the remaining orders will not automatically be canceled.

This trading strategy is best illustrated with an example.

Let's assume an investor wants to invest $10,000 in the market, but he wants to buy stock in only one of three companies. He knows the circumstances under which he wants to buy each company (the "trigger condition”). He places an alternative order with the following trigger conditions:

a) Limit Order 1 - Company X is trading at $40. The investor places a limit order to buy Company X if it drops to $35.

b) Limit Order 2 - Company Y is trading at $42. The investor places a limit order to buy Company Y if it drops to $38.

c) Limit Order 3 - Company Z is trading at $45. The investor places a limit order to buy Company Z if it drops to $40.

Company X and Y hold steady, but Company Z drops to $40 and triggers Limit Order 3. The limit order for Company Z is executed and automatically cancels the limit orders for Company X and Company Y.

Why It Matters

Alternative orders allow investors flexibility to bet on their informed hunches, while curtailing their exposure. They can make a dynamic bet on the market, simultaneously playing several angles, with a floor as to how much they can lose.

This type of order is more complex than a normal order, and not all brokerages accept alternative orders. Even when brokerages do, the procedures, rules and terms may vary. Check with your brokers for the specific details before placing an alternative order.

Source: Investing Answers

open order

noun

What It Is

An open order is an instruction to buy or sell securities that has not been executed or cancelled. Another term used is "backlog order."

How It Works

An order may remain open when an investor places conditions on their transaction, such as a price minimum. If the condition is not met (e.g. the stock has not yet reached the minimum amount requested by the investor), the order remains "open."

Why It Matters

While a market order is executed immediately, an open order may take time to fill or may remain unfilled. It is important for the investor to monitor market conditions and keep track of their open orders and be sure that each order should remain in effect and be filled over time.

Source: Investing Answers

qualified domestic relations order

noun

What It Is

A qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) is a legal document used to split a person's retirement plan, usually as part of a divorce decree.

How It Works

For example, let's assume that Jane and John are getting divorced. John has a 401(k) with $500,000 in it. The presiding judge decides that they will split the 401(k) 50/50. In order to officially do so, the judge will sign a QDRO (pronounced "quadro") directing the account's custodian to put 50% of the 401(k) in a separate account under Jane's name.

A QDRO must specifically describe the percentage of benefits to be allocated to the ex-spouse. It may not award amounts or benefits that are not available under the spouse's retirement plan.

Why It Matters

QDROs help people allocate tax responsibilities after divorce. In our example, Jane becomes responsible for any taxes incurred when she begins taking distributions of the 401(k) money. Without the QDRO, John would have been legally responsible for the taxes on the distributions, even if he gives or is ordered to give Jane the proceeds.

Source: Investing Answers

ORDER Defined for English Language Learners

order

noun

Definition of order for English Language Learners

: a statement made by a person with authority that tells someone to do something : an instruction or direction that must be obeyed
: a specific request asking a company to supply goods or products to a customer
: a product or a group of products that someone has requested from a company

ORDER Defined for Kids

order

verb or·der \ ˈȯr-dər \

Definition of order for Students

ordered; ordering

1 : to put into a particular grouping or sequence : arrange

Dictionary entries are ordered alphabetically.

2 : to give a command to or for

The general ordered troops into battle.

I went to the counter to order lunch.

order

noun

Definition of order for Students

1 : a certain rule or regulation : command

… when he gave orders … everyone knew … that he expected to be obeyed.
—Anna Sewell, Black Beauty

2 : the arrangement of objects or events in space or time

List the names in alphabetical order.

3 : the way something should be

He kept the room in order.

4 : the state of things when law or authority is obeyed

Troops restored order after the riot.

5 : good working condition

The telephone is out of order.

6 : a statement of what a person wants to buy

Place your order for a birthday cake.

7 : goods or items bought or sold an order of pancakes

8 : a group of people united (as by living under the same religious rules or by loyalty to common needs or duties)

He belongs to an order of monks.

9 orders plural : the office of a person in the Christian ministry

holy orders

10 : a group of related living things (as plants or animals) that ranks above the family and below the class in scientific classification

Bats form an order of mammals in the animal kingdom.

11 : a written direction to pay a sum of money

— in order that

: so that

— in order to

: for the purpose of

Medical Dictionary

order

transitive verb or·der \ ˈȯrd-ər \

medical Definition of order

ordered; ordering play \ˈȯrd-(ə-)riŋ\

: to give a prescription for : prescribe

the doctor ordered bed rest

order

noun

medical Definition of order

: a category of taxonomic classification ranking above the family and below the class

Law Dictionary

order

noun or·der

legal Definition of order

1 : a state of peace, freedom from unruly behavior, and respect for law and proper authority

maintain law and order

2 : an established mode or state of procedure

a call to order

3 a : a mandate from a superior authority — see also executive order

b : a ruling or command made by a competent administrative authority; specifically : one resulting from administrative adjudication and subject to judicial review and enforcement

an administrative order may not be inconsistent with the Constitution
—Wells v. State, 654 So. 2d 145 (1995)

c : an authoritative command issued by the court

violated a court order and was jailed for contempt

— cease-and-desist order \ˌsēs-ənd-di-ˈzist-, -ˈsist-\

: an order from a court or quasi-judicial tribunal to stop engaging in a particular activity or practice (as an unfair labor practice) — compare injunction, mandamus, stay

— consent order

: an agreement of litigating parties that by consent takes the form of a court order

— final order

: an order of a court or quasi-judicial tribunal which leaves nothing further to be determined or accomplished in that forum except execution of the judgment and from which an appeal will lie

— gag order

: an order barring public disclosure or discussion (as by the involved parties or the press) of information relating to a case

— order to show cause

: an order requiring the prospective object of a legal action to show cause why that action should not take place — called also show cause order

— pretrial order

: a court order setting out the rulings, stipulations, and other actions taken at a pretrial conference

— protection order

: restraining order in this entry

— protective order

: an order issued for the protection of a particular party: as

a : an order that limits, denies, or defers discovery by a party in order to prevent undue embarrassment, expense, oppression, or disclosure of trade secrets

b : restraining order in this entry

— qualified domestic relations order

: an order, decree, or judgment that satisfies the criteria set out in section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code for the payment of all or part of individual pension, profit sharing, or retirement benefits usually to a divorcing spouse (as for alimony or child support)

Note: The alienation or assignment of funds under a qualified domestic relations order does not affect the tax status of the plan from which such funds are paid.

— restraining order \ri-ˈstrā-niŋ-\

1 : temporary restraining order in this entry

2 : an order of a specified duration issued after a hearing attended by all parties that is intended to protect one individual from violence, abuse, harassment, or stalking by another especially by prohibiting or restricting access or proximity to the protected party

excluded from the home by a restraining order issued because of domestic violence

— called also protection order, protective order; compare temporary restraining order in this entry

— show cause order

: order to show cause in this entry

— temporary restraining order

1 : an order of brief duration that is issued ex parte to protect the plaintiff's rights from immediate and irreparable injury by preserving a situation or preventing an act until a hearing for a preliminary injunction can be held

2 : a protective order issued ex parte for a brief period prior to a hearing on a restraining order attended by both parties and intended to provide immediate protection from violence or threatened violence

— turnover order \ˈtər-ˌnō-vər-\

: an order commanding one party to turn over property to another; especially : an order commanding a judgment debtor to turn over assets to a judgment creditor

turnover order in aid of execution
—California Code of Civil Procedure

d : a command issued by a military superior

4 a : a direction regarding the party to whom a negotiable instrument shall be paid

pay to the order of John Doe

— see also money order, negotiable instrument

b : an instruction or authorization especially to buy or sell goods or securities or to perform work

a purchase order

a work order

— alternative order

: an order to a broker in which alternative methods of carrying out the order (as by buying or selling) are set forth

— open order

1 : an order to buy securities or commodity futures that remains effective until filled or canceled

2 : an order for merchandise expressed in very general terms so that the seller has considerable latitude in selecting the articles actually provided

— stop order

: an order to a broker to buy or sell a security when the price advances or declines to a designated level

c : goods or items bought or sold

the order was received in good condition

— to order

: according to the specifications of an order especially of a bearer or endorsee

payable to bearer or to order

order

adjective

legal Definition of order

: payable to a named person or to an individual that person names by an endorsement

order instrument

— compare bearer

Learn More about order

See words that rhyme with order Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for order Spanish Central: Translation of order Nglish: Translation of order for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of order for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about order

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up order? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

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order

Definition of order

orderable

orderer

Examples of order in a Sentence

Recent Examples of order from the Web

Origin and Etymology of order

order Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of order

order

Definition of order

orderless

Examples of order in a Sentence

Recent Examples of order from the Web

Illustration of order

Origin and Etymology of order

order Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Financial Definition of ORDER

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

ORDER Defined for English Language Learners

order

Definition of order for English Language Learners

ORDER Defined for Kids

order

Definition of order for Students

order

Definition of order for Students

Medical Dictionary

order

medical Definition of order

order

medical Definition of order

Law Dictionary

order

legal Definition of order

order

legal Definition of order

Learn More about order

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