Order — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈȯr-dər/ or·der

Meaning & Definition of Order

Order (verb)

  1. to put in order, arrange
  2. to give an order to, command
  3. destine, ordain

Order (noun)

  1. a group of people united in a formal way
  2. a fraternal society
  3. a community under a religious rule; especially, one requiring members to take solemn vows

Order (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  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

Order (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to put into a particular arrangement

    "I've ordered all of my CDs according to type of music"

    "he likes to order his life so that there are few surprises"

    similar: arrange, array, classify, codify, dispose, draw up, lay out, marshal, organize, range, systematize
    related: groom, make up, spruce (up), straighten (up), tidy (up), unscramble, align, cue, line, line up, queue, alphabetize, file, hierarchize, prioritize, sequence, emplace, place, set, display, map (out), set out
    opposite: derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, mess (up), muss (up), rumple, upset

  2. to give a request or demand for

    "the players ordered hamburgers for lunch"

    similar: ask (for), put in (for), request, requisition, call for
    related: commission, solicit, charter, hire, license

  3. to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority

    "the teacher ordered that everyone sit down immediately and be quiet"

    similar: call, command, decree, dictate, direct, mandate, ordain, call for
    related: ask, petition, request, demand, require
    near: cancel, countermand, rescind

  4. to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority

    "the police officer ordered the crowd to back away from the suspect"

    similar: adjure, bid, boss (around), charge, command, direct, enjoin, instruct, tell
    related: ask, petition, request, beg, beseech, entreat, advise, counsel, warn, appoint, assign, authorize, commission, oversee, superintend, supervise, conduct, control, lead, manage, coerce, compel, constrain, force, oblige, require
    opposite: mind, obey
    near: comply (with), follow, keep, observe

Related Entry: Made-to-order (adjective)

Made-to-order is a different word from Order. The synonyms below are for made-to-order, not for order.

  1. made or fitted to the needs or preferences of a specific customer

    "the manufacturer offers its online customers made-to-order computer systems"

    similar: bespoke, custom, custom-made, custom-tailored, customized, tailor-made, tailored
    related: particular, special, specialized, custom-built, handcrafted, handmade, made-to-measure
    opposite: mass-produced, ready-made

Related Entry: Pecking order (noun)

Pecking order is a different word from Order. The synonyms below are for pecking order, not for order.

  1. the way in which people or things in a group or organization are placed in a series of levels with different importance or status

    "As an assistant manager, he was pretty low in the company's pecking order."

    similar: food chain, graduation, hierarchy, ladder, ordering, ranking, scale, arrangement, array, disposal, disposition, distribution, sequence, series, setup, degree, echelon, footing, level, place, position, reaches, rung, situation, spot, standing, station, status

Related Entry: In order (phrase)

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

  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: In short order (phrase)

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

  1. with great speed

    "We packed up our belongings in short order."

    similar: apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fast, fleetly, full tilt, hastily, hell-for-leather, hot, lickety-split, posthaste, presto, pronto, quick, quickly, rapidly, snappily, soon, speedily, swift, swiftly, a mile a minute, at full throttle, at full tilt, by leaps and bounds, in a hurry, like a shot, like gangbusters, like wildfire
    related: immediately, promptly, readily, impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly, abruptly, suddenly, energetically, vigorously
    opposite: slow, slowly
    near: laggardly, lingeringly, ploddingly, sluggishly, deliberately, leisurely, belatedly, delinquently, tardily

Related Entry: On the order of (phrase)

On the order of is a different word from Order. The synonyms below are for on the order of, not for order.

  1. having qualities in common

    "They traveled something on the order of 1,000 miles before reaching Yosemite."

    similar: akin, alike, analogous, cognate, comparable, connate, correspondent, corresponding, ditto, like, matching, parallel, resemblant, resembling, similar, such, suchlike
    related: commensurate, proportionate, tantamount, virtual, allied, congeneric, congenerous, congenial, connatural, kin, kindred, relatable, related, approaching, approximating, close, coextensive, coincident, conformable, conforming, consistent, consonant, duplicate, equal, equivalent, fungible, identical, indistinguishable, interchangeable, me-too, redundant, same, selfsame, substitutable, synonymous, twin, entire, homogeneous, homogenous, unchanging, uniform, unvaried, unvarying
    opposite: different, dissimilar, diverse, unakin, unlike
    near: disparate, distinct, distinguishable, nonequivalent, noninterchangeable, variable, varied, various, varying, imprecise, inaccurate, inexact, unconnected, unrelated

Related Entry: Money order (noun)

Money order is a different word from Order. The synonyms below are for money order, not for order.

  1. as in cashier's check, promissory note

    similar: banknote, cashier's check, check, draft, note, promissory note, dead presidents (slang), folding money, paper money, scrip, bill, dollar, greenback, coinage, specie, bankroll, capital, finances, funds, roll (slang), wad, wallet, bread, bucks, cabbage (slang), cash, change, chips, coin, currency, dough, gold, green, jack (slang), kale (slang), legal tender, lolly (British), long green (slang), loot, lucre, money, moola (slang), needful, pelf, scratch (slang), shekels, tender, wampum, chump change, dibs (slang), dime, mite, peanuts, pittance, shoestring, big bucks, bomb (British), boodle, bundle, earth, fortune, king's ransom, megabucks, mint, packet (chiefly British), pile, pot, abundance, means, opulence, riches, treasure, wealth, resources, wherewithal

Related Entry: Set (verb)

Set is a different word from Order. The synonyms below are for set, not for 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 Order

The most common words with a similar meaning to Order:

British: nick
arrangement, array, disposal, disposition, distribution, ordering, sequence, setup, association, board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild, institute, institution, league, organization, society, sodality, breed, class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind, like, manner, nature, sort, species, strain

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Order

Words with the opposite meaning of Order:

derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, mess (up), muss (up), rumple, upset, mind, obey

Related Words for Order

continuity, precedence, priority, chain, procession, progression, succession, series, aligning, alignment, lining up, design, layout, pattern, structure, system, collective, commune, community, cooperative, alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership, body, cadre, circle, clan, clique

Near Antonyms of Order

confusion, disorganization, disruption, disconnection, disjointedness, disrepair, appeal, entreaty, petition, plea, urging, proposal, recommendation, suggestion, cancel, countermand, rescind, comply (with), follow, keep, observe

Word Forms of Order

Inflections: ordered, ordering

Derived words: orderable (adjective), orderer (noun), orderless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Order

Middle English, from ordre, noun

First known use: 13th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Order

Words & Phrases Containing Order

in order that, order arms, order around, order of battle, order of business, order of magnitude, order of the day, order about

Frequently Asked Questions about Order

What does "Order" mean?

"Order" means to put in order, arrange. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to put in order, arrange. It has 12 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Order"?

Other words for "Order" include arrangement, array, disposal, disposition, distribution, ordering, sequence and setup. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Order" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Order"?

There are 296 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Order". Common alternatives include arrangement, array, disposal, disposition, distribution, ordering, sequence, setup, association and board.

What is the opposite of "Order"?

Antonyms of "Order" include derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, mess (up), muss (up), rumple and upset. Near antonyms include confusion, disorganization, disruption and disconnection.

How do you use "Order" in a sentence?

Examples of "Order" in a sentence: "you always keep your books in perfect alphabetical order"; "we haven't found out the order of the speeches yet"; "a religious order".

Is "Order" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Order" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Order" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Order" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Order"?

"Order" is pronounced /ˈȯr-dər/ and divided into syllables as or·der.