orderly

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈɔːrdərli/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈɔrdɚli/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ôr′dər lē)

Inflections of 'orderly' (n): npl: orderlies

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
or•der•ly /ˈɔrdɚli/USA pronunciation   adj., n., pl. -lies. 
adj. 
  1. arranged or organized in a neat manner or in a regular sequence:orderly closets.
  2. willing or liking to organize things in a neat manner:an orderly housekeeper.
  3. observing or obeying laws, rules, or discipline;
    well-behaved;
    law-abiding:an orderly crowd.

n. [countable]
  1. a hospital attendant having general, nonmedical duties.
  2. Militaryan enlisted soldier assigned to perform various chores for a commanding officer or group of officers.
or•der•li•ness, n. [uncountable]See -ord-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
or•der•ly  (ôr′dər lē),USA pronunciation adj., adv., n., pl. -lies. 
adj. 
    1. arranged or disposed in a neat, tidy manner or in a regular sequence:an orderly desk.
    2. observant of or governed by system or method, as persons or the mind.
    3. characterized by or observant of law, rule, or discipline;
      well-behaved;
      law-abiding:an orderly assemblage of citizens.
    4. pertaining to or charged with the communication or execution of orders.

    adv. 
    1. methodically;
      regularly.
    2. according to established order or rule.

    n. 
    1. Militaryan enlisted soldier assigned to perform various chores for a commanding officer or group of officers.
    2. Medicinea hospital attendant having general, nonmedical duties.
    • 1470–80 as adverb, adverbial; 1570–80 as adjective, adjectival; 1795–1805 as noun, nominal; order + -ly
    or′der•li•ness, n. 
      1. 2. . Orderly, methodical, systematic characterize that which is neat, in order, and planned. These three words are sometimes used interchangeably. However, orderly emphasizes neatness of arrangement:an orderly array of books.Methodical suggests a logical plan, a definite order of actions or method from beginning to end:a methodical examination.Systematic suggests thoroughness, an extensive and detailed plan, together with regularity of action:a systematic review.
      1. . chaotic, disorderly, haphazard.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
orderly /ˈɔːdəlɪ/ adj
  1. in order, properly arranged, or tidy
  2. obeying or appreciating method, system, and arrangement
  3. of or relating to orders: an orderly book
 n ( pl -lies)
  1. a hospital attendant who assists nursing and medical staff
  2. a junior rank detailed to carry orders or perform minor tasks for a more senior officer
ˈorderliness n
'orderly' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
array - clean up - coherent - crisp - economy - file - medic - neat - officer of the day - order - orderly officer - orderly room - ordinal - ordinary - ordinate - peon - procession - regular - right - settle down - shipshape - sort out - stack - straight - adjustment - air-traffic control - change ringing - chaotic - composition - correlate - cosmos - diastem - disorderly - disorganization - disorganize - form - good behavior - harmony - Heracliteanism - inordinate - investigation - lay - list - map - marshal - method - methodical - OMA - orderly marketing agreement - pensive
In Lists: spirus4, more...
Collocations: orderly [piles, stacks, rows], likes to keep an orderly [desk, closet, room], [left, entered, lined up] in an orderly fashion, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "orderly" in the title:


Look up "orderly" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "orderly" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!

Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.