Basic Details
Word: Order
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The way things are arranged one after another. It can also mean a command, or a request for goods or food.
Synonyms: arrangement, sequence, command, instruction
Antonyms: disorder, chaos
Word origin: From Old French ordre, from Latin ordo, a row or rank.
How to Spell Order
Syllables: or - der
Tricky part: The word ends in er, not or. Because it begins with or, some students write ordor or ordar.
Watch out for: ordor, ordar, ordr
Memory tip: Border is simply order with a b in front. If you can spell border, cover the b and you have order.
Idioms and Phrases
- out of order: Not working properly. Example: "The lift was out of order, so we climbed six floors."
- in short order: Quickly, without delay. Example: "The volunteers cleared the hall in short order after the function."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Arrange the books on the shelf in alphabetical order.
Example 2: The general gave the order to march at dawn.
Example 3: We placed an order for two plates of idli at the canteen.
Fun Fact
In biology, order is one of the ranks used to group living things. It comes between class and family, and humans belong to the order Primates.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word order as used in the sentence:
The teacher restored order in the noisy classroom within a minute.
a) calm
b) discipline
c) chaos
d) peace
Show answer
c) chaos. Calm, discipline and peace all go along with order; chaos is what you have before it is restored.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Before the assembly bell, please line up in drore of height, shortest at the front.
a) rodeo
b) odder
c) older
d) order
Show answer
d) order. Older needs an l, odder two d's and rodeo two o's; the jumble has two r's, which only order uses.
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the prefix dis to make a new word:
dis
a) mess
b) neat
c) tidy
d) order
Show answer
d) order. Disorder means a state of mess; tidy takes un instead, and neat and mess take neither.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A soldier who obeys an order is following a ____.
a) command
b) question
c) rumour
d) story
Show answer
a) command
2. The numbers 2, 4, 6, 8 are written in ____ order.
a) descending
b) ascending
c) reverse
d) random
Show answer
b) ascending
