Meaning & use
in chronological order
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Arranged in the order in which events happened, from earliest to latest.
Grammar: Used as an adverbial phrase, often after verbs like 'arrange', 'list', or 'present'.
Patterns
- arrange something in chronological order
- list something in chronological order
- in chronological order
The museum displays the paintings in chronological order.
Please arrange the events in chronological order for the report.
The biography tells the story in chronological order, from childhood to old age.
Common combinations
- arrange in chronological order
- The teacher asked us to arrange the historical events in chronological order.
- list in chronological order
- The bibliography lists the author's works in chronological order.
- present in chronological order
- The documentary presents the war in chronological order.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sequentially
- Means in a sequence, but not necessarily by time; can refer to any ordered series.
- in order of time
- A less common phrase with the same meaning.
Opposites
Word family
- chronological adjective
- Relating to the order of events in time.
- chronologically adverb
- In a way that follows the order of time.
Commonly confused: in chronological order or chronological?
in chronological order vs chronological
Chronological is an adjective meaning 'relating to time order'; 'in chronological order' is the full phrase meaning arranged by time.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'in chronological order' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Only option A correctly uses the phrase to mean arranged by time. The others misuse the phrase in contexts that do not involve a time sequence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “in chronological order”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.