Illustration of order
- 1 Corinthian
- 2 Doric
- 3 Ionic
ordered; ordering
ˈȯr-d(ə-)riŋ 
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.
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.
1
: to bring about order : regulate
a renascence of the spirit that orders and controls—
H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells1
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
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
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
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 order
see also 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
Phrases
in order
: appropriate, desirable
an apology is in order
: for the purpose of
: in the process of being ordered
1
: after the fashion of : like
a genius on the order of Newton—D. B. Botkin
D. B. Botkin2
: about, approximately
spent on the order of two million dollars
: according to the specifications of an order
shoes made to order
Examples of order in a Sentence
Verb
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 website.
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!
Noun
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 on the Web
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 July 2025
The company has been ordering fireworks a year in advance, Marietta said.
—Tim Hrenchir, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for tiny communities near State Route 166 as flames moved through hilly terrain toward the Carrizo Plain National Monument, about 45 miles east of Santa Maria.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for order
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Some of those claims were dismissed by a judge in 2024, but the lawsuit was still ordered to move forward; in June, however, Lizzo filed an appeal aimed at shutting it down for good on the grounds that the dancers’ claims clashed with her First Amendment rights.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 July 2025
The company has been ordering fireworks a year in advance, Marietta said.
—Tim Hrenchir, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Noun
Some offer to send cease and desist orders which sound good but are totally unenforceable.
—Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for tiny communities near State Route 166 as flames moved through hilly terrain toward the Carrizo Plain National Monument, about 45 miles east of Santa Maria.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for order
Cite this Entry
“Order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/order. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
order
1 of 2 verb
or·der
ˈȯrd-ər
ordered; ordering
ˈȯrd-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to put in order : arrange
ordered the books alphabetically
2
a
: to give an order to or for
ordered them to clean their rooms
order groceries
b
: to command to go or come to a certain place
order troops back to base
3
: to place an order
have you ordered yet?
order
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a group of people united in some way (as by living under the same religious rule or by loyalty to common interests and duties)
an order of monks
an order of knighthood
b
: the badge or emblem of such an order
c
: a military medal or award
2
plural
: the Christian ministry
in orders
3
a
: a rank or class in society
the lower orders
b
: class entry 1 sense 3a, kind
emergencies of this order
c
: a category of biological classification ranking above the family and below the class
4
a
: the way objects in space or events in time are arranged or follow one another
the order of the seasons
in alphabetical order
b
: the established way or arrangement
the old order
c
: regular or harmonious arrangement or a condition having such an arrangement
kept my room in order
5
a
: the state of things when law or authority is obeyed
restored order after the riot
b
: a certain rule or direction : command
that's an order
6
a
: a style of building
b
: a type of architectural column with its related parts
7
: good working condition
out of order
8
a
: a direction to pay money, to buy or sell, or to supply goods or services
b
: goods or items bought or sold
an order of eggs and toast
Medical Definition
order
1 of 2 transitive verb
or·der
ˈȯrd-ər
ordered; ordering
ˈȯrd-(ə-)riŋ
: to give a prescription for : prescribe
the doctor ordered bed rest
order
2 of 2 noun
: a category of taxonomic classification ranking above the family and below the class
Legal Definition
order
1 of 2 noun
or·der
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)
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-
\
: temporary restraining order in this entry
: 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
: 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
: 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
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
: an order to buy securities or commodity futures that remains effective until filled or canceled
: 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
order
2 of 2 adjective
: payable to a named person or to an individual that person names by an endorsement
order instrument
compare bearer
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