In order — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

phrase

Meaning & Definition of In order

In order (phrase)

  1. appropriate, desirable

In order (phrase) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation

    "I believe a round of applause is in order."

    similar: applicable, appropriate, apt, becoming, befitting, felicitous, fit, fitted, fitting, good, happy, meet, pretty, proper, right, suitable
    related: condign, deserved, just, justified, needed, required, requisite, able, capable, competent, cut out, qualified, trained, pitch-perfect, acceptable, adequate, decent, kosher, satisfactory, serviceable, tolerable, correct, decorous, respectable, seemly, balanced, companionate, congruous, consonant, harmonious, rightful
    opposite: improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, indecent, infelicitous, malapropos, misbecoming, unapt, unbecoming, unbeseeming, unfit, unfitting, unhappy, unmeet, unseemly, unsuitable, wrong
    near: incapable, incompetent, inept, inexpert, unqualified, unskilled, unskillful, untrained, inadequate, intolerable, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, graceless, incorrect, indecorous, incompatible, uncongenial

Related Entry: Order (noun)

Order is a different word from In order. The synonyms below are for order, not for in order.

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

    "you always keep your books in perfect alphabetical order"

    "we haven't found out the order of the speeches yet"

    similar: arrangement, array, disposal, disposition, distribution, ordering, sequence, setup
    related: continuity, precedence, priority, chain, procession, progression, succession, series, aligning, alignment, lining up, design, layout, pattern, structure, system
    near: confusion, disorder, disorganization, disruption, upset, disconnection, disjointedness

  2. a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest

    "a religious order"

    similar: association, board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild, institute, institution, league, organization, society, sodality
    related: collective, commune, community, cooperative, alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership, body, cadre, group, circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, junto, klatch, lot, set, crew, outfit, party, squad, team, branch, chapter, local, faithful, fold, membership, sisterhood, sorority, cabal, camarilla, camorra, confederacy, conspiracy, band, gang, ring, cartel, combine, syndicate

  3. a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common

    "collects movie posters, photographs and autographs of the stars, and other memorabilia of that order"

    similar: breed, class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind, like, manner, nature, sort, species, strain, stripe, type, variety
    related: model, sample, specimen, bracket, bunch, category, division, family, grade, group, grouping, lot, persuasion, rank(s), set, suite

  4. a piece of metal given in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement

    "a book with full-color illustrations of British orders and decorations"

    similar: medal, medallion
    related: decoration, honor, crown, insignia, laurel, ribbon, title, bronze, gold, silver, badge, button, chevron, clasp, cockade, color, ensign, rosette, star, distinction, award, prize, trophy, citation, commendation

  5. a state of being or fitness

    "finally got the car back in working order"

    similar: condition, estate, fettle, form, health, keeping, kilter, nick (British), repair, shape, trim
    related: practice, pass, phase, stage, footing, picture, posture, scene, situation, status, rank, standing
    near: disorder, disrepair

  6. a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned

    "the commander issued an order that the number of guards for the prisoner be doubled"

    similar: behest, charge, command, commandment, decree, dictate, direction, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, word
    related: demand, requirement, mandate, countermand, counterorder, law, precept, prescript, prescription, rule, ordinance, regulation, statute
    near: appeal, entreaty, petition, plea, urging, proposal, recommendation, suggestion

  7. one of the segments of society into which people are grouped

    "the lower orders were once expected to be content living out their lives as servants to the upper classes"

    similar: caste, class, estate, folk, gentry, stratum
    related: bracket, echelon, grade, layer, level, tier, place, position, rank, standing, status, food chain, grouping, hierarchy, stratification, clan, family, fraternity, people, race, tribe, subcaste

  8. one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic

    "regards draftees as an entirely different order of soldier and less desirable than volunteers"

    similar: bracket, category, class, classification, division, family, genus, grade, group, kind, league, rank(s), rubric, set, species, tier, type
    related: description, feather, ilk, kidney, like, manner, nature, sort, branch, section, speciality, specialty, subclass, subdivision, subgroup, subspecies, variety, breed, race, generation, heading, label, title

Related Entry: Set (verb)

Set is a different word from In order. The synonyms below are for set, not for in order.

  1. to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop

    "the hen set for days"

    similar: brood, hatch, incubate, sit
    related: lay, spawn

  2. to decide upon (the time or date for an event) usually from a position of authority

    "set a date for the wedding"

    similar: appoint, designate, fix, name
    related: adopt, assign, choose, determine, establish, opt (for), pick, pin (down), prefer, select, settle, single (out), specify, arrange, coordinate, orchestrate, advertise, announce, declare, publish

  3. to make an approximate or tentative judgment regarding

    "fire losses were set at a million dollars"

    similar: appraise, assess, estimate, evaluate, guesstimate, rate, valuate, value
    related: adjudge, deem, judge, ascertain, determine, discover, learn, price, prize, decide, settle, analyze, assay, survey, test, reappraise, reassess, reevaluate, rejudge, revalue, transvaluate, transvalue, misesteem, misjudge, misprize, underestimate, undervalue

  4. to rest on the buttocks or haunches

    "come over and set for a spell"

    similar: sit
    related: perch, lounge, slouch, sprawl, squat, straddle
    near: arise, get up, rise, stand

  5. to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal

    "determined to see the West, she set her car towards the sun and drove off"

    similar: aim, bend, cast, direct, head, hold, level, pinpoint, train
    related: sight, bear, face, concentrate, focus, incline, orient, steer
    near: avert, curve, deflect, detour, divert, rechannel, shunt, sidetrack

  6. to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of

    "finally set some plans for the luncheon"

    similar: agree (on), arrange, decide, fix, settle, dispose of
    related: contract, pledge, promise, blueprint, calculate, chart, concert, design, draft, frame, hammer out, intrigue, lay out, maneuver, map (out), plan, program, schematize, scheme, shape, square away, work out, choose, conclude, determine, figure, opt, resolve, affirm, approve, authorize, clear, confirm, OK, sanction, warrant, close, complete, end, finalize, finish, round (off or out), wind up, wrap up, bargain, chaffer, deal, dicker, haggle, horse-trade, negotiate
    near: abort, call, call off, drop, recall, repeal, rescind, revoke, differ (over), disagree (with), counter, debate, object, oppose, protest, resist, contest, dispute

  7. to put securely in place or in a desired position

    "had the jeweler set the diamond again"

    similar: anchor, catch, clamp, fasten, fix, hitch, moor, secure
    related: embed, entrench, implant, ingrain, lodge, stuff, wedge
    opposite: loose, loosen, unfasten, unfix, unloose, unloosen
    near: extract, prize, pry, pull, root (out), tear (out), uproot, wrest, yank

  8. to turn from a liquid into a substance resembling jelly

    "the gelatin is just starting to set now"

    similar: clot, coagulate, congeal, gel, gelate, gelatinize, jell, jelly
    related: cake, concrete, firm (up), fix, freeze, harden, indurate, solidify, stiffen, condense, thicken, clump, curd, curdle, gum, lump (up)
    near: deliquesce, flux, fuse, liquefy, melt, thaw

  9. to arrange something in a certain spot or position

    "set a book on the table"

    similar: depose, deposit, dispose, emplace, fix, lay, place, position, put, set up, situate, stick
    related: move, rearrange, reorder, shift, orient, establish, locate, plant, settle, clap, flop, plank, plop, plump, plunk, plunk down, slap, ensconce, niche, assemble, collect, carry, berth, park, affix, anchor, lock, lodge, wedge, array, lay out, line up, queue, rank, set down
    near: relocate, remove, take, banish, dislodge, displace, replace, supersede, supplant

  10. to become physically firm or solid

    "the concrete must set completely before anyone can walk on it"

    similar: concrete, congeal, firm (up), freeze, harden, indurate, solidify
    related: cake, callus, encrust, clot, coagulate, gel, gelate, gelatinize, jell, jelly, stiffen, thicken, calcify, crystallize, ossify, petrify, rigidify, anneal, case-harden, temper
    opposite: liquefy, soften
    near: deliquesce, dissolve, flux, fuse, melt, smelt, thaw, unfreeze

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for In order

The most common words with a similar meaning to In order:

applicable, appropriate, apt, becoming, befitting, felicitous, fit, fitted, fitting, good, happy, meet, pretty, proper, right, suitable

Antonyms & Opposite Words for In order

Words with the opposite meaning of In order:

improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, indecent, infelicitous, malapropos, misbecoming, unapt, unbecoming, unbeseeming, unfit, unfitting, unhappy, unmeet, unseemly, unsuitable, wrong

Related Words for In order

condign, deserved, just, justified, needed, required, requisite, able, capable, competent, cut out, qualified, trained, pitch-perfect, acceptable, adequate, decent, kosher, satisfactory, serviceable, tolerable, correct, decorous, respectable, seemly, balanced, companionate, congruous, consonant, harmonious

Near Antonyms of In order

incapable, incompetent, inept, inexpert, unqualified, unskilled, unskillful, untrained, inadequate, intolerable, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, graceless, incorrect, indecorous, incompatible, uncongenial

Words & Phrases Containing In order

in order that, in order to, in order for (someone or something) to, set one's house in order, one's house in order, set one's own house in order

Frequently Asked Questions about In order

What does "In order" mean?

"In order" means appropriate, desirable. As a phrase, it is defined as: appropriate, desirable.

What is another word for "In order"?

Other words for "In order" include applicable, appropriate, apt, becoming, befitting, felicitous, fit and fitted. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "In order" you intend.

What are different ways to say "In order"?

There are 47 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "In order". Common alternatives include applicable, appropriate, apt, becoming, befitting, felicitous, fit, fitted, fitting and good.

What is the opposite of "In order"?

Antonyms of "In order" include improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, indecent and infelicitous. Near antonyms include incapable, incompetent, inept and inexpert.

How do you use "In order" in a sentence?

Examples of "In order" in a sentence: "I believe a round of applause is in order.".

Is "In order" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"In order" is a phrase.

What is another word for "In order" meaning "meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation"?

When "In order" (phrase) means meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation, synonyms include applicable, appropriate, apt, becoming, befitting and felicitous. Opposites in this sense include improper, inapplicable, inapposite and inappropriate.

What words are related to "In order"?

Words related to "In order" include condign, deserved, just, justified, needed, required, requisite and able.