order

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The way things are arranged or follow one another, such as by size, time or importance.

   Grammar: Often uncountable with 'in': in alphabetical order, out of order.

   Patterns

   • in order of something
   • in alphabetical order

   Please put the cards in alphabetical order.

   The runners crossed the line in reverse order of age.

   The order of the chapters confused many readers.

2. 2noununcountable

   A state in which things are tidy, under control or following the rules.

   Grammar: No plural and no article: the teacher restored order.

   Patterns

   • keep order
   • in good order

   The police worked to restore order after the riot.

   She keeps her desk in perfect order.

   Without clear rules, there is little order in the classroom.

3. 3nouncountable

   A command from someone in authority telling you what you must do.

   Grammar: Often used with give or follow: give an order, follow orders.

   Patterns

   • an order to do something
   • give someone an order

   The captain gave the order to turn back.

   The soldiers refused to obey the order.

   The court issued an order banning the demolition.

4. 4nouncountablebusiness

   A request to a business to supply goods or food, or the items requested.

   Grammar: Used with place or make: place an order with a shop.

   Patterns

   • place an order for something
   • an order of something

   We placed an order for twenty chairs.

   Your order will arrive within three days.

   Could I get an order of fries, please?

5. 5nouncountablebiologytechnical

   A group of living things ranked between a class and a family in scientific classification.

   Grammar: A biological term: the order Carnivora includes dogs and cats.

   Patterns

   • the order of something

   Bats belong to the order Chiroptera.

   Butterflies and moths form a single order of insects.

   The textbook compared two orders of flowering plants.

Word forms

Common combinations

in order to

She saved money in order to travel.

out of order

The elevator is out of order today.

restore order

Teachers rushed in to restore order.

place an order

He placed an order online last night.

in working order

The old car is still in working order.

law and order

Voters wanted a firm stance on law and order.

Synonyms and how they differ

command

Command is more forceful and typical of the military, whereas order can also be a polite request for goods.

sequence

Sequence stresses the chain of things following one another, while order can also mean tidiness or an instruction.

arrangement

Arrangement focuses on how things have been placed, not on any fixed rule of sequence.

discipline

Discipline means order kept by training or rules, so it fits people's behavior better than the order of objects.

Opposites

Word family

orderly adjective

neat, organized or well behaved

disorder noun

a lack of order, or an illness that upsets normal function

orderliness noun

the quality of being tidy and organized

ordinal adjective

showing position in a series, as in first and second

Commonly confused: order or ordinance? order or ordnance?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “order”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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