an authoritative direction or instruction; command; mandate.

a command of a court or judge.

a command or notice issued by a military organization or a military commander to troops, sailors, etc.

the disposition of things following one after another, as in space or time; succession or sequence

The names were listed in alphabetical order.

a condition in which each thing is properly disposed with reference to other things and to its purpose; methodical or harmonious arrangement

You must try to give order to your life.

formal disposition or array

the order of the troops.

proper, satisfactory, or working condition.

state or condition generally

His financial affairs were in good order.

conformity or obedience to law or established authority; absence of disturbance, riot, revolt, unruliness, etc.

A police officer was there to maintain order.

customary mode of procedure; established practice or usage.

the customary or prescribed mode of proceeding in debates or the like, or in the conduct of deliberative or legislative bodies, public meetings, etc.

parliamentary rules of order.

prevailing course or arrangement of things; established system or regime

The old order is changing.

conformity to this.

a direction or commission to make, provide, or furnish something

The salesclerk will take your order.

a quantity of goods or items purchased or sold

The druggist is sending the order right over.

Grammar .

the arrangement of the elements of a construction in a particular sequence, as the placing of John before the verb and of George after it in John saw George.

the hierarchy of grammatical rules applying to a construction.

the rank of immediate constituents.

any of the nine grades of angels in medieval angelology. Compare angel ( def. 1 ) .

Mathematics .

degree, as in algebra.

the number of rows or columns of a square matrix or determinant.

the number of times a function has been differentiated to produce a given derivative

a second order derivative.

the order of the highest derivative appearing in a given differential equation

d 2 y/dx 2 3 y dy/dx 6 is a differential equation of order two.

the number of elements of a given group.

the smallest positive integer such that a given element in a group raised to that integer equals the identity.

the least positive integer n such that permuting a given set n times under a given permutation results in the set in its original form.

any class, kind, or sort, as of persons or things, distinguished from others by nature or character

talents of a high order.

Biology . the usual major subdivision of a class or subclass in the classification of organisms, consisting of several families.

a rank, grade, or class of persons in a community.

a group or body of persons of the same profession, occupation, or pursuits

the clerical order.

a body or society of persons living by common consent under the same religious, moral, or social regulations.

Ecclesiastical . any of the degrees or grades of clerical office. Compare major order , minor order .

a monastic society or fraternity

the Franciscan order.

a written direction to pay money or deliver goods, given by a person legally entitled to dispose of it

delivery order; exchange order.

Architecture .

any arrangement of columns with an entablature.

any of five such arrangements typical of classical architecture, including the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders invented by the Greeks and adapted by the Romans, the Tuscan order, invented by the Romans, and the Composite order, first named during the Renaissance.

any of several concentric rings composing an arch, esp. when each projects beyond the one below.

orders, the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.

Usually, orders. the rite or sacrament of ordination.

a prescribed form of divine service or of administration of a rite or ceremony.

the service itself.

the visible structures essential or desirable to the nature of the church, involving esp. ministry, polity, and sacraments.

a society or fraternity of knights, of combined military and monastic character, as, in the Middle Ages, the Knights Templars.

a modern organization or society more or less resembling the knightly orders

fraternal orders.

( initial capital letter ) British .

a special honor or rank conferred by a sovereign upon a person for distinguished achievement.

the insignia worn by such persons.

Chiefly British . a pass for admission to a theater, museum, or the like.

to give an order, direction, or command to

The infantry divisions were ordered to advance.

to direct or command to go or come as specified

to order a person out of one's house.

to prescribe

The doctor ordered rest for the patient.

to direct to be made, supplied, or furnished

to order a copy of a book.

to regulate, conduct, or manage

to order one's life for greater leisure.

to arrange methodically or suitably

to order chessmen for a game.

Mathematics . to arrange (the elements of a set) so that if one element precedes another, it cannot be preceded by the other or by elements that the other precedes.

to ordain, as God or fate does.

to invest with clerical rank or authority.

to give an order or issue orders

I wish to order, but the waiter is busy.

a tall order, a very difficult or formidable task, requirement

or demand

Getting the crop harvested with so few hands to help was a tall order. Also, a large order.

call to order

to begin (a meeting)

The meeting was called to order at 3 o'clock.

in order

fitting; appropriate

It appears that an apology is in order.

in a state of proper arrangement, preparation, or readiness

Everything is in order for the departure.

correct according to the rules of parliamentary procedure

Questions from the floor are now in order.

in order that

so that; to the end that

We ought to leave early in order that we may not miss the train.

in order to

as a means to; with the purpose of

She worked summers in order to save money for college.

in short order

with promptness or speed; rapidly

The merchandise arrived in short order.

on order

ordered but not yet received

We're out of stock in that item, but it's on order.

on the order of

resembling to some extent; like

I would like a dress on the order of the one in the window.

approximately; about

On the order of 100,000 people attended the rally.

out of order

inappropriate; unsuitable

His remark was certainly out of order.

not operating properly; in disrepair

The air conditioner is out of order again.

incorrect according to the rules of parliamentary procedure

The chairwoman told him that he was out of order.

to order

according to one's individual requirements or instructions

a suit made to order; carpeting cut to order.

noun

confusion , disorder , disorganization , mess , muddle , lawlessness , liberty , license , answer

verb

disallow , prevent , rescind , disorder , disorganize , mess up , mix up , muddle

noun

adjustment , aligning , array , assortment , cast , categorization , classification , codification , composition , computation , disposal , disposition , distribution , establishment , form , grouping , harmony , layout , line , lineup , management , method , neatness , ordering , orderliness , pattern , placement , plan , procedure , procession , progression , propriety , regularity , regulation , rule , scale , scheme , sequence , series , setup , standardization , structure , succession , symmetry , system , tidiness , uniformitynotes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , a command is being told to do something in a specific way , and a directive is being told to do something and getting this information through channels , calm , control , decorousness , decorum , discipline , goodness , integrity , law , law and order , niceness , peace , peacefulness , probity , properness , quiet , rectitude , rightness , seemliness , suitability , tranquility , uprightnessnotes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , bracket , branch , breed , caste , degree , description , estate , family , feather , genre , genus , grade , hierarchy , ilk , kidney , kind , nature , pecking order * , pigeonhole * , place , position , rank , set , slot , sort , species , station , stripe , subclass , taxonomic group , typenotes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , authorization , behest , bidding , charge , commandment , decree , dictate , direction , directive , injunction , instruction , mandate , ordinance , permission , precept , say-so , stipulation , ukase , word *notes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , amount , application , booking , bulk , commission , engagement , goods , materials , purchase , quantity , requisition , reservation , reserve , shipment , stipulationnotes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , association , brotherhood , club , community , company , fraternity , guild , league , lodge , sect , sisterhood , society , sodality , sorority , unionnotes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , deployment , formation , organization , systematization , systemization , condition , fettle , fitness , kilter , shape , consecution , chain , course , round , run , string , suite , train , word , confederation , congress , federation , fellowship , lot , manner , mold , stamp , type , variety , tier , category

verb

adjure , apply for , bid , book , buy , call for , call the shots * , call the signals , charge , contract for , decree , dictate , direct , enact , engage , enjoin , hire , instruct , obtain , ordain , prescribe , pull strings , request , require , reserve , rule the roost * , secure , send away for , tell , warnnotes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , a command is being told to do something in a specific way , and a directive is being told to do something and getting this information through channels , adapt , adjust , align , alphabetize , array , assign , catalogue , class , classify , codify , conduct , control , dispose , distribute , establish , file , fix , formalize , furnish , group , index , lay out , line , line up , locate , manage , marshal , methodize , neaten , normalize , pattern , place , plan , put away , put to rights , range , regiment , regularize , regulate , right , routine , set guidelines , set in order , settle , sort out , space , standardize , streamline , systematize , tabulate , tidynotes:an order is being told to do something with no specific guidelines , dominate , domineer , rule , tyrannize