orderly
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.neat, tidy, and arranged in a clear way.
adj.neatly and methodically arranged; possessing a clear sense of order.
Simple“The books were kept in an orderly row on the shelf.”
In context“The archivist maintained an orderly filing system that allowed researchers to locate obscure documents within minutes.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.behaving well and following rules, especially in a group.
adj.peaceful and well-behaved; adhering to established rules or social discipline.
Simple“The crowd waited in an orderly line for the doors to open.”
In context“Despite the delay, the passengers remained orderly and waited for further instructions from the flight crew.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who works in a hospital doing jobs that are not medical, like moving patients.
n.a hospital attendant responsible for non-medical tasks such as transporting patients or maintaining equipment.
Simple“The hospital orderly wheeled the patient to the X-ray room.”
In context“The head nurse requested an orderly to assist with the transfer of heavy medical supplies to the new wing.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a soldier who does small tasks or carries messages for an officer.
n.a soldier assigned to attend a superior officer to carry out minor tasks or deliver messages.
Simple“The general gave his orderly a message to deliver to the front line.”
In context“The colonel's orderly stood ready to relay commands to the various company commanders during the exercise.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is primarily found in historical contexts or formal military literature.
“You may always be less naturally orderly than someone else.”
From order + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.