order

noun

OPAL WOPAL S

/ˈɔːdə(r)/

/ˈɔːrdər/

Idioms

jump to other results

arrangement

[uncountable, countable] the way in which people or things are placed or arranged in relation to each other

in… order The names are listed in alphabetical order.
The winning scores, in reverse order, are as follows.
in the/a… order Put the words in the correct order.
Let's take the problems in a different order.
in order of something arranged in order of preference/importance/priority
out of order Scenes in films are often shot out of order.
Make sure you get the chronological order right.

controlled state

[uncountable] the state that exists when people obey laws, rules or authority

The army has been sent to maintain order in the capital.
The police struggled to restore order.
in order Some teachers find it difficult to keep their classes in order.
to order He soon brought the rebels to order.
The film was banned as a potential threat to public order.

compare disorder see also law and order, point of order

Extra Examples

The job of the guards is to maintain peace and order at all times without using physical violence.
He said that the continued presence of military forces was necessary to maintain order and security.
She was denied entry as ‘a threat to the order and security of the country’.
Some surveys appear to show that people prefer authoritarian order to democracy.
His landscapes are celebrations of abundance, fertility, and social order.
The prison service claimed that it was not in the interests of good order within the prison to permit prisoners to conduct campaigns through the media.
The city was once more restored to lawful order.
He believed that Ireland would only be brought to order after military conquest.
He said his was the only party that could put the country in order.
He expressed firm support for the police efforts to keep the city in order.

Topics Law and justiceb1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

civil
public

verb + order

keep
maintain
preserve
…

preposition

in order
out of order

phrases

law and order
a point of order

See full entry

food/drinks

[countable] a request for food or drinks in a restaurant, bar, etc.

The waiter came to take their orders.
You place your order at the front counter.
a food/drink(s) order
order for something an order for steak and fries

goods

[countable, uncountable] a request to make or supply goods

order for something I would like to place an order for ten copies of this book.
Complete the online order form.
order fulfilment/processing
on order The machine parts are still on order (= they have been ordered but have not yet been received).
to order These items can be made to order (= produced especially for a particular customer).

see also back order, mail order, order book, pre-order

Extra Examples

The company won a $10 million order for oil-drilling equipment.
We received a purchase order for 125 bicycles.
We have a firm order for ten cases of wine.
We're trying to fill all the back orders.
He already had thousands of advance orders for the book.
We are now accepting orders for the new model.
My copy is already on order.
We're offering 10% off orders over £75.
Free delivery for orders worth £30 or more.
Please fill in the order form and send it to the above address.
To subscribe to the print version, use this order form.
You will receive an order confirmation by email.
The system handles order processing and inventory control.
We use scanning technology to improve product tracking and order fulfillment.
The company has an order backlog of $160 million.

Topics Businessb1, Shoppingb1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

bulk
large
record
…

verb + order

place
put in
send
…

order + noun

form
book

preposition

on order
to order
order for
…

See full entry

[countable] goods supplied in response to a particular order that somebody has placed

The stationery order has arrived.

Topics Shoppingb2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

bulk
large
record
…

verb + order

place
put in
send
…

order + noun

form
book

preposition

on order
to order
order for
…

See full entry

instructions

[countable] something that somebody is told to do by somebody in authority

Dogs can be trained to obey orders.
Their defence was that they were only following orders.
to disobey/defy orders
order from somebody She takes orders only from the president.
order to do something The general gave the order to advance.
order for somebody/something to do something He issued orders for the work to begin.
under orders (to do something) I'm under orders not to let anyone in.
by (the) order of somebody/something Interest rates can be controlled by order of the central bank.
(informal) No sugar for me—doctor's orders.

see also community order, court order, exclusion order, executive order, gagging order, preservation order, protection order, restraining order, supervision order

Extra Examples

He was court-martialled for disobeying an order.
The judge asked him why he had chosen to defy the order of the court.
The government has issued an order to round up street criminals.
Officials continued to conduct business as usual, issuing orders on behalf of the dead king.
She faces five years in prison if she breaches the order granted yesterday by Blackpool magistrates.
The sisters were under strict orders from their father not to leave the house.
He is under orders from the court to comply with psychiatric treatment.
Under the Prime Minister's orders, he had not spoken to the press.
He opened his sealed orders.
The captain gave the order to fire.
The colonel had given orders for the spy's execution.
The local civilians don't take orders from the military.
The ship was to set sail at once, on the admiral's orders.
I don't take orders from you!
She just stood there barking orders at everyone.
He barked out orders as he left.
The judge made an order for the costs to be paid.
The wife was granted an order for payment of child support.
The creditors obtained an order from the court giving them right of entry.
The book was the subject of a banning order by the Censorship Board.
By order of the King, I place you under arrest.
By the order of the coroner, an autopsy was carried out.

Topics War and conflictb1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

direct
specific
strict
…

verb + order

give
issue
make
…

preposition

by order of
on somebody’s orders
under orders from
…

phrases

doctor’s orders
get your marching orders
give somebody their marching orders
…

See full entry

money

[countable] a formal written instruction for somebody to be paid money or to do something

You can cash the order at any post office.

see also banker’s order, court order, money order, postal order, standing order

system

[countable, usually singular] (formal) the way that a society, the world, etc. is arranged, with its system of rules and customs

a change in the political and social order
the natural order of things
He was seen as a threat to the established order.
A new world order seems to be emerging.
The old order in Europe saw rapid change in the late 1980s.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

established
existing
old
…

See full entry

social class

[countable, usually plural] (disapproving or humorous) a social class

the lower orders

biology

[countable] a group into which animals, plants, etc. that have similar characteristics are divided, smaller than a class and larger than a family

the order of primates

compare genus

Wordfinder

breed
class
classification
genus
hybrid
kingdom
order
phylum
species
taxonomy

Topics Animalsc2

religious community

[countable + singular or plural verb] a group of people living in a religious community, especially monks or nuns

religious orders
the Benedictine order

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

monastic
religious
contemplative
…

See full entry

special honour

[countable + singular or plural verb] a group of people who have been given a special honour by a queen, king, president, etc.

The Order of the Garter is an ancient order of chivalry.

[countable] a badge or ribbon worn by members of an order who have been given a special honour

secret society

[countable + singular or plural verb] a secret society whose members meet for special ceremonies

the Ancient Order of Druids

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French ordre, from Latin ordo, ordin- ‘row, series, rank’.

Idioms

be in/take (holy) orders

to be/become a priest

be a tall order

(informal) to be very difficult to do

call/bring somebody/something to order

to order somebody to obey the formal rules of a meeting; to start a formal meeting
- The argument continued until the chairman called them both to order.
- The president brought the meeting to order at 9.15 a.m.
- As the meeting was brought to order, the councillor immediately stood and began to protest.

call somebody/something to order

to ask people in a meeting to be quiet so that the meeting can start or continue

get your marching orders

(informal) to be ordered to leave a place, a job, etc.

give somebody their marching orders

(informal) to order somebody to leave a place, their job, etc.

in order

(of an official document) that can be used because it is all correct and legal synonym valid
- Is your work permit in order?
(formal) as it should be
- Is everything in order, sir?
if something is in order, it is a suitable thing to do or say on a particular occasion
- I think a drink would be in order.
- Would it be in order for us to examine the manuscript?

in order (to do something)

(formal) allowed according to the rules of a meeting, etc.
- Is it in order to speak now?
Topics Permission and obligationc2

in order that

(formal) so that something can happen
- All those concerned must work together in order that agreement can be reached on this issue.

in order to do something

with the purpose or intention of doing or achieving something
- She arrived early in order to get a good seat.
- In order to get a complete picture, further information is needed.
Language Bank process
processDescribing a process
- This diagram illustrates the process of paper-making./This diagram shows how paper is made.
- First/First of all, logs are delivered to a paper mill, where the bark is removed and the wood is cut into small chips.
- Next/Second, the wood chips are pulped, either using chemicals or in a pulping machine.
- Pulping breaks down the internal structure of the wood and enables/allows the natural oils to be removed.
- Once/After the wood has been pulped, the pulp is bleached in order to remove impurities. /…is bleached so that impurities can be removed.
- The next stage is to feed the pulp into the paper machine, where it is mixed with water and then poured onto a wire conveyor belt.
- As the pulp travels along the conveyor belt, the water drains away. This causes the solid material to sink to the bottom, forming a layer of paper.
- At this point the new paper is still wet, so it is passed between large heated rollers, which press out the remaining water and simultaneously dry the paper/…dry the paper at the same time.
- The final stage is to wind the paper onto large rolls./Finally, the paper is wound onto large rolls.

in running/working order

(especially of machines) working well
- The engine is now in perfect working order.

in short order

quickly and without trouble

law and order

a situation in which people obey the law and behave in a peaceful way
- The government struggled to maintain law and order.
- After the riots, the military was brought in to restore law and order.
- They claim to be the party of law and order.
- Martial law was imposed to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
Topics Law and justiceb2

of a high order | of the highest/first order

of a high quality or degree; of the highest quality or greatest degree
- The job requires diplomatic skills of a high order.
- She was a snob of the first order.

of/in the order of something (British English)

(North American English on the order of)

(formal) about something; approximately something
- She earns something in the order of £80 000 a year.

the order of the day

common, popular or suitable at a particular time or for a particular occasion
- Pessimism seems to be the order of the day.

Order! Order!

used by the person in charge of a formal meeting or debate to remind people to obey the rules of the meeting

out of order

(of a machine, etc.) not working correctly
- The phone is out of order.
not arranged correctly or neatly
- I checked the files and some of the papers were out of order.
(British English)
(also out of line British and North American English)
(informal) behaving in a way that is not acceptable or right
- You were well out of order taking it without asking.
- He accepted that he'd been out of order.
(formal) not allowed by the rules of a formal meeting or debate
- His objection was ruled out of order.
Topics Permission and obligationc2

a/the pecking order

(informal, often humorous) the order of importance in relation to one another among the members of a group synonym hierarchy
- New Zealand is at the top of the pecking order of rugby nations.
- to be first in the pecking order

put/set your (own) house in order

to organize your own business or improve your own behaviour before you try to criticize somebody else

under starter’s orders

(of a runner, rider, etc.) waiting for a signal to start a race

order

verb

OPAL S

/ˈɔːdə(r)/

/ˈɔːrdər/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they order	/ˈɔːdə(r)/ /ˈɔːrdər/
he / she / it orders	/ˈɔːdəz/ /ˈɔːrdərz/
past simple ordered	/ˈɔːdəd/ /ˈɔːrdərd/
past participle ordered	/ˈɔːdəd/ /ˈɔːrdərd/
-ing form ordering	/ˈɔːdərɪŋ/ /ˈɔːrdərɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

jump to other results

food/drink

[transitive, intransitive] to ask for something to eat or drink in a restaurant, bar, etc.

order (something) I ordered a beer and a sandwich.
Have you ordered yet?
The waiter asked if we were ready to order.
order somebody/yourself something He ordered himself a double whisky.
order for somebody Will you order for me while I make a phone call?
order something for somebody We ordered extra fries for the kids.

Extra Examples

He ordered off the children's menu.
Please order at the counter before finding a table.
We ordered almost an hour ago and the food still hasn't come.
You have to be 21 in this state to order a drink at the bar.
They ordered water with their meal.
Can I order something off the lunch menu?
It was the first time I had ordered wine in a restaurant.
She sat down and ordered a drink.
He ordered a bottle of champagne.
Order two main courses and get a dessert for free.
I've ordered you a coffee, I hope that's OK.
Why don't you order yourself an ice cream?
Shall I order some water for the table?
I let her order for me, as she knows more about Chinese food.

Topics Cooking and eatinga1

goods/service

[transitive, intransitive] to ask for goods to be made or supplied; to ask for a service to be provided

order (something) To order a copy of the report, visit our website.
You will be given a reference number when you order.
order something from somebody/something These boots can be ordered direct from the manufacturer.
order from somebody/something She sometimes orders from catalogues.
order somebody/yourself something Shall I order you a taxi?
order something for somebody Shall I order a taxi for you?

give instructions

[transitive] to use your position of authority to tell somebody to do something or say that something must happen

order somebody to do something The officer ordered them to fire.
The company was ordered to pay compensation to its former employees.
order somebody + adv./prep. They were ordered out of the class for fighting.
He ordered them off his property.
order something The government has ordered an investigation into the accident.
Your doctor may order an MRI scan.
The judge ordered a retrial.
order that… The court ordered that a psychological report be prepared.
(British English also) The court ordered that a psychological report should be prepared.
order (somebody) + speech ‘Sit down and be quiet,’ she ordered.

Synonyms orderorder

tell
instruct
direct
command

These words all mean to use your position of authority to say to somebody that they must do something.

order
to use your position of authority to tell somebody to do something:
- The company was ordered to pay compensation to its former employee.
- ‘Come here at once!’ she ordered.
tell
to say to somebody that they must or should do something:
- He was told to sit down and wait.
- Don’t tell me what to do!
instruct
(rather formal) to tell somebody to do something, especially in a formal or official way:
- The letter instructed him to report to headquarters immediately.
direct
(formal) to give an official order:
- The judge directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.
command
to use your position of authority to tell somebody to do something:
- He commanded his men to retreat.

order or command?Order is a more general word than command and can be used about anyone in a position of authority, such as a parent, teacher or government telling somebody to do something. Command is slightly stronger than order and is the normal word to use about an army officer giving orders, or in any context where it is normal to give orders without any discussion about them. It is less likely to be used about a parent or teacher.Patterns

to order/tell/instruct/direct/command somebody to do something
to order/instruct/direct/command that…
to do something as ordered/told/instructed/directed/commanded

Express Yourself Telling somebody to do somethingTelling somebody to do something

- Could you wait here for a moment, please?
- Would you come through now?/You can come through now.
- Can you send it up to my room, please?
- Just sign here for me, please.
- I need you to finish the report by Friday.
- Everyone has to use the side entrance this week.
- You have to sign these reports before submitting them.

Extra Examples

Magistrates ordered him to serve 160 hours community service.
For years, doctors have been ordering expectant mothers to eat plenty of folic acid.
They were ordered by the court to enter arbitration.
He was ordered to appear before a grand jury.
The commander of the tank company was ordered by the Task Force commander to destroy the tunnels.
The authorities have ordered surveys to be carried out.
The council ordered the construction to stop.
All foreign journalists have been ordered out of the country.
He was ordered off for bringing down the striker.
The Judge ordered them into her private chambers.
Troops were ordered back from the area.
The British government then ordered a major inquiry into the affair.
The court must order his release if the detention is not lawful.
The general had personally ordered the raid.
Two officers were accused of ordering the killing of 120 civilians.
The pilot ordered an evacuation.
The military operation was ordered by the president himself.
The doctor ordered more diagnostic tests.
tests which are routinely ordered on patients
In Japan, authorities have ordered mandatory labeling for some foods containing GM ingredients.
A court may order that a dog be destroyed if it has rushed at persons, animals, or vehicles.
They ordered that for every tree cut down two more be planted.
‘Get into groups of four!’ he ordered us.

Topics Permission and obligationb1, War and conflictb1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

specifically
immediately
personally
…

preposition

off
out of

See full entry

organize/arrange

[transitive] order something to organize or arrange something

The list is ordered alphabetically.
I need time to order my thoughts.