Library / English Dictionary

ORDER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of putting things in a sequential arrangement

Example:

there were mistakes in the ordering of items on the list

Synonyms:

order; ordering

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

organisation; organization (the activity or result of distributing or disposing persons or things properly or methodically)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

rank order (an arrangement according to rank)

grading; scaling (the act of arranging in a graduated series)

sequence; succession (the action of following in order)

layout (the act of laying out (as by making plans for something))

alphabetisation; alphabetization (the act of putting in alphabetical order)

Derivation:

order (place in a certain order)

order (bring order to or into)

order (make a request for something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(architecture) one of original three styles of Greek architecture distinguished by the type of column and entablature used or a style developed from the original three by the Romans

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

artistic style; idiom (the style of a particular artist or school or movement)

Domain category:

architecture (the discipline dealing with the principles of design and construction and ornamentation of fine buildings)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

Dorian order; Doric order (the oldest and simplest of the Greek orders and the only one that normally has no base)

Ionian order; Ionic order (the second Greek order; the capital is decorated with spiral scrolls)

Corinthian order (the last Greek order; similar to the Ionic order except the capital is decorated with carvings of acanthus leaves)

Composite order (a Roman order that combines the Corinthian acanthus leaves with the spiral scrolls of the Ionic order)

Tuscan order (a Roman order that resembles the Doric order but without a fluted shaft)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A degree in a continuum of size or quantity

Example:

an explosion of a low order of magnitude

Synonyms:

order; order of magnitude

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

magnitude (the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small))

Derivation:

order (assign a rank or rating to)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A commercial document used to request someone to supply something in return for payment and providing specifications and quantities

Example:

IBM received an order for a hundred computers

Synonyms:

order; purchase order

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

commercial document; commercial instrument (a document of or relating to commerce)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

bill-me order; credit order (an order that is received without payment; requires billing at a later date)

indent (an order for goods to be exported or imported)

market order (an order to a broker to sell or buy stocks or commodities at the prevailing market price)

production order (an order that initiates the manufacturing process)

reorder (a repeated order for the same merchandise)

stop-loss order; stop order (an order to a broker to sell (buy) when the price of a security falls (rises) to a designated level)

stop payment (a depositor's order to a bank to refuse payment on a check)

mail order (a purchase negotiated by mail)

Derivation:

order (make a request for something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge)

Example:

a friend in New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out there

Synonyms:

decree; edict; fiat; order; rescript

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

act; enactment (a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

consent decree (an agreement between two parties that is sanctioned by the court; for example, a company might agree to stop certain questionable practices without admitting guilt)

curfew (an order that after a specific time certain activities (as being outside on the streets) are prohibited)

decree nisi (a decree issued on a first petition for divorce; becomes absolute at some later date)

imperial decree (a decree issued by a sovereign ruler)

judicial separation; legal separation (a judicial decree regulating the rights and responsibilities of a married couple living apart)

programma (an edict that has been publicly posted)

ban; prohibition; proscription (a decree that prohibits something)

stay (a judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted)

bull; papal bull (a formal proclamation issued by the pope (usually written in antiquated characters and sealed with a leaden bulla))

Derivation:

order (give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority)

order (issue commands or orders for)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A body of rules followed by an assembly

Synonyms:

order; parliamentary law; parliamentary procedure; rules of order

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

prescript; rule (prescribed guide for conduct or action)

Domain member category:

mover; proposer ((parliamentary procedure) someone who makes a formal motion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

interpellation ((parliament) a parliamentary procedure of demanding that a government official explain some act or policy)

standing order (a rule of order permanently in force)

closure; cloture; gag law; gag rule (a rule for limiting or ending debate in a deliberative body)

point of order (a question as to whether the current proceedings are allowed by parliamentary procedure)

previous question (a motion calling for an immediate vote on the main question under discussion by a deliberative assembly)

Instance hyponyms:

Robert's Rules of Order (a book of rules for presiding over a meeting; written by Henry M. Martin in 1876 and subsequently updated through many editions)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

Example:

the British ships dropped anchor and waited for orders from London

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

bid; bidding; command; dictation (an authoritative direction or instruction to do something)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Domain usage:

plural; plural form (the form of a word that is used to denote more than one)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

marching orders (an order from a superior officer for troops to depart)

summons (an order to appear in person at a given place and time)

word (a verbal command for action)

Derivation:

order (give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority)

order (issue commands or orders for)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A request for something to be made, supplied, or served

Example:

the company's products were in such demand that they got more orders than their call center could handle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

asking; request (the verbal act of requesting)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

short order (an order for food that can be prepared quickly)

Derivation:

order (make a request for something)

Sense 9

Meaning:

(biology) taxonomic group containing one or more families

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

taxon; taxonomic category; taxonomic group (animal or plant group having natural relations)

Meronyms (members of "order"):

suborder ((biology) taxonomic group that is a subdivision of an order)

family ((biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

animal order (the order of animals)

protoctist order (the order of protoctists)

plant order (the order of plants)

fungus order (the order of fungi)

Holonyms ("order" is a member of...):

class ((biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more orders)

Sense 10

Meaning:

A group of person living under a religious rule

Example:

the order of Saint Benedict

Synonyms:

monastic order; order

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

religious order; religious sect; sect (a subdivision of a larger religious group)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

Augustinian order (any of several monastic orders observing a rule derived from the writings of St. Augustine)

Benedictine order; order of Saint Benedict (a Roman Catholic monastic order founded in the 6th century; noted for liturgical worship and for scholarly activities)

Carmelite order; Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (a Roman Catholic mendicant order founded in the 12th century)

Carthusian order (an austere contemplative Roman Catholic order founded by St. Bruno in 1084)

Dominican order (a Roman Catholic order of mendicant preachers founded in the 13th century)

Franciscan order (a Roman Catholic order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in the 13th century)

Jesuit order; Society of Jesus (a Roman Catholic order founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1534 to defend Catholicism against the Reformation and to do missionary work among the heathen; it is strongly committed to education and scholarship)

Sense 11

Meaning:

A formal association of people with similar interests

Example:

men from the fraternal order will staff the soup kitchen today

Synonyms:

club; gild; guild; lodge; order; social club; society

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

association (a formal organization of people or groups of people)

Meronyms (members of "order"):

club member (someone who is a member of a club)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

athenaeum; atheneum (a literary or scientific association for the promotion of learning)

bookclub (a club that people join in order to buy selected books at reduced prices)

chapter (a local branch of some fraternity or association)

chess club (a club of people to play chess)

country club (a suburban club for recreation and socializing)

frat; fraternity (a social club for male undergraduates)

glee club (a club organized to sing together)

golf club (a club of people to play golf)

hunt; hunt club (an association of huntsmen who hunt for sport)

investors club (a club of small investors who buy and sell securities jointly)

jockey club (a club to promote and regulate horse racing)

racket club (club for players of racket sports)

rowing club (a club for rowers)

slate club (a group of people who save money in a common fund for a specific purpose (usually distributed at Christmas))

sorority (a social club for female undergraduates)

turnverein (a club of tumblers or gymnasts)

boat club; yacht club (club that promotes and supports yachting and boating)

service club (a club of professional or business people organized for their coordination and active in public services)

Derivation:

order (appoint to a clerical posts)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements

Example:

we shall consider these questions in the inverse order of their presentation

Synonyms:

order; ordering; ordination

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

arrangement (an orderly grouping (of things or persons) considered as a unit; the result of arranging)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

bacteria order (an order of bacteria)

word order (the order of words in a text)

genetic code (the ordering of nucleotides in DNA molecules that carries the genetic information in living cells)

genome (the ordering of genes in a haploid set of chromosomes of a particular organism; the full DNA sequence of an organism)

series (similar things placed in order or happening one after another)

Derivation:

order (place in a certain order)

order (bring order to or into)

order (arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events)

Sense 13

Meaning:

(usually plural) the status or rank or office of a Christian clergyman in an ecclesiastical hierarchy

Example:

theologians still disagree over whether 'bishop' should or should not be a separate Order

Synonyms:

Holy Order; Order

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("Order" is a kind of...):

position; status (the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Order"):

acolyte (someone who assists a priest or minister in a liturgical service; a cleric ordained in the highest of the minor orders in the Roman Catholic Church but not in the Anglican Church or the Eastern Orthodox Churches)

anagnost (a cleric in the minor orders of the Eastern Orthodox Church who reads the lessons aloud in the liturgy (analogous to the lector in the Roman Catholic Church))

deacon (a cleric ranking just below a priest in Christian churches; one of the Holy Orders)

doorkeeper; ostiarius; ostiary (the lowest of the minor Holy Orders in the unreformed Western Church but now suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church)

exorcist (one of the minor orders in the unreformed Western Church but now suppressed in the Roman Catholic Church)

lector; reader (someone who reads the lessons in a church service; someone ordained in a minor order of the Roman Catholic Church)

priest (a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders)

subdeacon (a clergyman an order below deacon; one of the Holy Orders in the unreformed western Christian church and the eastern Catholic Churches but now suppressed in the Roman Catholic Church)

Sense 14

Meaning:

Established customary state (especially of society)

Example:

law and order

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

civil order; polity (the form of government of a social organization)

rule of law (a state of order in which events conform to the law)

quiet; tranquility; tranquillity (an untroubled state; free from disturbances)

concord; concordance; harmony (a harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colors and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole)

stability (a stable order (especially of society))

peace (the state prevailing during the absence of war)

Antonym:

disorder (a disturbance of the peace or of public order)

Derivation:

order (bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations)

orderly (clean or organized)

Sense 15

Meaning:

A condition of regular or proper arrangement

Example:

the machine is now in working order

Synonyms:

order; orderliness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("order" is a kind of...):

condition; status (a state at a particular time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "order"):

spit and polish (careful attention to order and appearance (as in the military))

kelter; kilter (in working order)

tidiness (the habit of being tidy)

Antonym:

disorder (a condition in which things are not in their expected places)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Place in a certain order

Example:

order the photos chronologically

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

arrange; set up (put into a proper or systematic order)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

ordering (the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement)

orderer (an organizer who puts things in order)

order (logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements)

order (the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bring order to or into

Example:

Order these files

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

arrange; set up (put into a proper or systematic order)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "order"):

clean up; neaten; square away; straighten; straighten out; tidy; tidy up (put (things or places) in order)

systematise; systematize; systemise; systemize (arrange according to a system or reduce to a system)

collate (to assemble in proper sequence)

disentangle; straighten out; unsnarl (extricate from entanglement)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

disorder (bring disorder to)

Derivation:

order (the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement)

order (logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements)

orderer (an organizer who puts things in order)

ordering (the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Assign a rank or rating to

Example:

The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide

Synonyms:

grade; order; place; range; rank; rate

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "order"):

superordinate (place in a superior order or rank)

shortlist (put someone or something on a short list)

seed (distribute (players or teams) so that outstanding teams or players will not meet in the early rounds)

reorder (assign a new order to)

subordinate (rank or order as less important or consider of less value)

prioritise; prioritize (assign a priority to)

sequence (arrange in a sequence)

downgrade (rate lower; lower in value or esteem)

upgrade (rate higher; raise in value or esteem)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

order (a degree in a continuum of size or quantity)

ordering (the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events

Example:

I put these memories with those of bygone times

Synonyms:

arrange; order; put; set up

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

organise; organize (cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to some principle or idea)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "order"):

contemporise; contemporize; synchronise; synchronize (arrange or represent events so that they co-occur)

phrase (divide, combine, or mark into phrases)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

ordering; order (logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make a request for something

Example:

order a work stoppage

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

ask for; bespeak; call for; quest; request (express the need or desire for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "order"):

reorder (make a new request to be supplied with)

place (to arrange for)

call (order or request or give a command for)

wish (order politely; express a wish for)

commission (place an order for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Derivation:

order (the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement)

order (a commercial document used to request someone to supply something in return for payment and providing specifications and quantities)

order (a request for something to be made, supplied, or served)

orderer (someone who places an order to buy)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority

Example:

The mother told the child to get dressed

Synonyms:

enjoin; order; say; tell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

request (ask (a person) to do something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "order"):

direct (command with authority)

instruct (give instructions or directions for some task)

command; require (make someone do something)

call; send for (order, request, or command to come)

warn (ask to go away)

prescribe ((medicine) order the use of (a treatment, medicine, etc.), usually by written prescription)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They order him to write the letter

Derivation:

order (a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge))

order ((often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Issue commands or orders for

Synonyms:

dictate; order; prescribe

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

bring down; impose; inflict; visit (impose something unpleasant)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "order"):

mandate (make mandatory)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

order (a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge))

order ((often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Appoint to a clerical posts

Example:

he was ordained in the Church

Synonyms:

consecrate; ordain; order; ordinate

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

enthrone; invest; vest (provide with power and authority)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Derivation:

order (a formal association of people with similar interests)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations

Example:

This town likes to regulate

Synonyms:

govern; order; regularise; regularize; regulate

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "order" is one way to...):

decide; determine; make up one's mind (reach, make, or come to a decision about something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "order"):

standardise; standardize (cause to conform to standard or norm)

district; zone (regulate housing in; of certain areas of towns)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

order (established customary state (especially of society))

Credits

 Context examples: 

Ring for our boots and tell them to order a cab.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Alpha-synuclein is a very small protein with very little structure, and it needs to interact with other proteins or structures in order to become functional, which has made it difficult to study.

(Calcium May Play A Role in Development of Parkinson's Disease, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

It's funny we should both sail under sealed orders from a man we don't know.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Substances that prevent infectious agents or organisms from spreading or kill infectious agents in order to prevent the spread of infection.

(Anti-Infective Agent, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The repeats associate to form a higher order structure.

(Ankyrin Repeat, NCI Thesaurus)

A means, manner of procedure, or systematic course of actions that have to be performed in order to accomplish a particular goal.

(Method, NCI Thesaurus)

A pregnancy involving twins or higher-order multiple fetuses (e.g., triplets, quadruplets).

(Multiple Gestation, NCI Thesaurus)

Henry's indignation on hearing how Catherine had been treated, on comprehending his father's views, and being ordered to acquiesce in them, had been open and bold.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Subsequent; immediately following in time or order.

(Next, NCI Thesaurus)

This press, as I have already explained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon the subject.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)