order

1 of 2

verb

or·der ˈȯr-dər

ordered; ordering ˈȯr-d(ə-)riŋ

Synonyms of order next

transitive verb

: to put in order : arrange

The books are ordered alphabetically by author.

: to give an order to : command

They ordered everyone out of the house.

: destine, ordain

so ordered by the gods

: to command to go or come to a specified place

ordered back to the base

: 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

: to bring about order : regulate

a renascence of the spirit that orders and controls—

H. G. Wells

: to issue orders : command

The general orders and soldiers obey.

: to give or place an order

Be sure to order before it's too late.

orderable

ˈȯr-d(ə-)rə-bəl

adjective

orderer

ˈȯr-dər-ər

noun

order

2 of 2

noun

: 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

: a badge or medal of such a society

also : a military decoration

: any of the several grades of the Christian ministry

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

orders plural : ordination

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

: 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

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

: degree sense 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

: 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

: the number of elements in a finite mathematical group

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

: a regular or harmonious arrangement

the order of nature

: a prescribed form of a religious service : rite

: the customary mode of procedure especially in debate

point of order

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

promised to restore order

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In the body cam clip, Anderson can be seen running into traffic and asking for help, while officers order him to lie on his stomach and submit to being held down in the road. —

Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 21 Jan. 2023 Biden could also order the U.S. Mint to simply strike a $1 trillion coin and deposit the token in the Federal Reserve, creating new funds to make credit payments. —

Compiled Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2023 According to the post, the special vinyl is being released on Thursday (Jan. 19) and BLINKs couldn’t order it fast enough. —

Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 19 Jan. 2023 Video shows the man jump to a standing position as officers order him to drop a pair of scissors in his hand. —

Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2023 After all, the client base for the world’s most exclusive marques had ample time at home to configure their dream cars and then order them. —

Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2023 But given the value at issue and the absence of prior offenses, a lawyer here said, a judge would likely order him to pay a fine. —

Claire Parker, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2023 And while most people order them in soup, some diners request the dumplings on their own. —

Jenn Harriscolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2022 People order them and 100% of the proceeds go back to the nonprofit. —

Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2022

Noun

The buildings are identified by numbers, designated in historical order of construction. —

Beverly Gage, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2023 The Academy cautions that these are not listed in order of presentation and are subject to change. —

Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2023 Following their disbandment by order of an international committee, their treatment back home very much depended on their countries of origin. —

WIRED, 23 Jan. 2023 On Friday, by order of the city’s Department of Building Inspection, the owners of the shuttered theater removed the iconic 4-by-14-foot name from the property that has stood neglected two decades. —

Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Jan. 2023 Ribosomes, for instance, insert the wrong amino acid into a protein on the order of once every 10 thousand times. —

Dan Levitt, Time, 21 Jan. 2023 How would an electric stove appear in a Nancy Meyers movie other than as a sacrilege along the order of linoleum at Versailles? —

Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2023 Here’s a look at each of them, listed in order of their national ranking according to 247 Sports. —

Dallas News, 20 Jan. 2023 As the lore goes, the rabbit was among the 12 animals who raced to the Jade Emperor in a cosmic contest that ultimately determined the order of the Chinese zodiac signs. —

Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 20 Jan. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from ordre, noun

Noun

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

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of order was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing order

Cite this Entry

Style

“Order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/order. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

order

1 of 2 verb

or·der ˈȯrd-ər

ordered; ordering ˈȯrd-(ə-)riŋ

: to put in order : arrange

ordered the books alphabetically

: to give an order to or for

ordered them to clean their rooms

order groceries

: to command to go or come to a certain place

order troops back to base

: to place an order

have you ordered yet?

orderer

ˈȯrd-ər-ər

noun

order

2 of 2 noun

: 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

: the badge or emblem of such an order

: a military medal or award

plural : the Christian ministry

in orders

: a rank or class in society

the lower orders

: class entry 1 sense 3a, kind

emergencies of this order

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

: the way objects in space or events in time are arranged or follow one another

the order of the seasons

in alphabetical order

: the established way or arrangement

the old order

: regular or harmonious arrangement or a condition having such an arrangement

kept my room in order

: the state of things when law or authority is obeyed

restored order after the riot

: a certain rule or direction : command

that's an order

: a style of building

: a type of architectural column with its related parts

: good working condition

out of order

: a direction to pay money, to buy or sell, or to supply goods or services

: 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

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

maintain law and order

: an established mode or state of procedure

a call to order

: a mandate from a superior authority see also executive order

: 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)

: 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

: a command issued by a military superior