# ordering

/ˈɔɹdɝɪŋ/ (US) · /ˈɔːdəɹɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ordering
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. arrangement

noun · CEFR B1

the way that things are organized or put into a specific sequence.

For teachers: the act or result of arranging items in a particular sequence or logical structure.

- The alphabetical ordering of the books makes it easy to find what you need.
- The chronological ordering of the historical documents allowed the researchers to trace the evolution of the policy over several decades.

### 2. buying goods

noun · CEFR B2

the act of asking for or buying products or services.

For teachers: the process of placing a request for goods or services from a provider.

- Online ordering has become much faster with the new mobile app.
- The restaurant streamlined its ordering system to reduce the wait time between the customer's arrival and the service of the meal.

### 3. religious ceremony

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

the ceremony where someone is officially made a priest or religious leader.

For teachers: the act or ceremony of ordaining individuals into holy orders, such as priests or deacons.

- The family gathered at the cathedral to witness the ordering of the new priests.
- The bishop presided over the formal ordering of the deacons, a ceremony steeped in centuries of ecclesiastical tradition.

## Examples

- The alphabetical ordering of the files makes them easy to find.
- The teacher changed the ordering of the presentations so that the most difficult topics came first.
- In mathematical set theory, a linear ordering ensures that for any two distinct elements, one must strictly precede the other within the sequence.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.