ENGLISH
REFERENCE

orderly

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɔɹdɝɫi// UK //ˈɔːdəli// or·der·ly Archaic

adj. neat, well-organized, and following a clear system. You use this to describe a situation where people or things are behaving correctly and staying in control.

adj. arranged or conducted in a neat, systematic, or well-behaved manner. Often used to describe the controlled movement of crowds or the systematic arrangement of physical objects.


SIMPLE

The students formed an orderly line outside the classroom.

CONTEXTUAL

Despite the sudden power outage, the staff managed an orderly evacuation of the building.

COMPLEX

The archives were kept in an orderly fashion, with every document meticulously cataloged and stored according to its date of origin.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From order + -ly.

Usage

Typically precedes the noun it modifies; when used predicatively, it often follows a linking verb like 'remain' or 'stay'.

Pitfall

He did the work orderly.He did the work in an orderly way.Despite the -ly ending, this word is an adjective, not an adverb; use 'in an orderly manner/way' for adverbial descriptions.

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