Late 16th century; earliest use found in Geoffrey Fenton (c1539–1608), translator and administrator in Ireland. From re- + ordain. Compare post-classical Latin reordinare to reorganize, to ordain again, Middle French, French réordonner to put back into order, to rearrange, to repair, to invest again with holy orders, to repeat an order, Spanish reordenar to put back into order, to rearrange, Portuguese reordenar to put back into order, to rearrange, Italian riordinare to put back into order, to rearrange.