# ordination

/ˌɔɹdəˈneɪʃən/ (US) · /ˌɔːdɪnˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ordination
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. religious ceremony

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the official ceremony where a person is made a priest, minister, or monk.

For teachers: the formal act or ceremony of conferring holy orders or consecrating a person for religious ministry.

- The whole family traveled to the cathedral to attend his ordination as a priest.
- Following years of rigorous theological study, her ordination represented both a personal milestone and a significant shift in the parish's leadership structure.

Usage: Often used with 'of' to indicate the person being ordained.

### 2. data analysis

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

a way of organizing a lot of information into a chart to see patterns, often used in nature studies.

For teachers: a multivariate statistical technique that arranges items along axes to visualize similarities or differences within complex datasets.

- The researchers used ordination to show how different plants grow in different parts of the forest.
- By applying non-metric multidimensional scaling as an ordination method, the ecologists were able to visualize how species composition shifted across the environmental gradient.

Usage: Commonly used in the fields of ecology, biology, and statistics.

## Examples

- The family traveled across the country to attend his ordination.
- After years of theological study and pastoral training, she finally reached her ordination as a deacon.
- The cathedral was filled to capacity for the ordination of the new bishops, a solemn event marked by traditional hymns and the laying on of hands.

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