orders
noun · verb
Form of order , plural of order.
Simple meaning
A command given by a superior that must be obeyed.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
awrderzSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɔɹdɚz
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
plural of order
A command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
“The British ships dropped anchor and waited for orders from London.”
plural of order
A request for some product or service; a commission to purchase, sell, or supply goods.
plural of order
A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge)
verb
third-person singular of order
To request some product or service; to secure by placing an order.
third-person singular of order
To admit to holy orders; to ordain; to receive into the ranks of the ministry.
third-person singular of order
To set in some sort of order.
third-person singular of order
To arrange, set in proper order.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
Used this way, orders is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a legal use: the wording is institutional and carries a defined meaning in law rather than a loose everyday one.
“The British ships dropped anchor and waited for orders from London.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
- Government/politics
- Academic writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use orders
- “The British ships dropped anchor and waited for orders from London.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A notice of dismissal or discharge.
Receive and be expected to follow directions or commands.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.