or·der·ly
ˈȯr-dər-lē 
1
2
: well behaved : peaceful
an orderly crowd
orderly
adverb
plural orderlies
1
: a soldier assigned to perform various services (such as carrying messages) for a superior officer
2
: a hospital attendant who does routine or heavy work (such as cleaning, carrying supplies, or moving patients)
Synonyms
Examples of orderly in a Sentence
Adjective
an orderly arrangement of pictures
She sorted the information into orderly categories.
Outside the theater, an orderly line of people waited to buy tickets.
an orderly crowd of protesters
Please exit the building in an orderly fashion.
Recent Examples on the Web
Discover Magazine, 21 June 2024
This decision was made at this stage to ensure an orderly wind-down of operations and to manage financial obligations responsibly.
—Sofia Celeste, WWD, 13 June 2024
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Apr. 2024
Douglass asks the orderly if he’s already shipped his trunk back to the States.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for orderly 
Adjective
Kaleidoscopes can create infinitely diverse yet orderly patterns using a limited number of colored glass beads, mirror-dividing walls and light.
—Discover Magazine, 21 June 2024
This decision was made at this stage to ensure an orderly wind-down of operations and to manage financial obligations responsibly.
—Sofia Celeste, WWD, 13 June 2024
Noun
Our last glimpse was Fleck being chased down a corridor by orderlies, laughing maniacally and leaving a trail of bloody shoe prints.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Apr. 2024
Douglass asks the orderly if he’s already shipped his trunk back to the States.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for orderly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orderly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near orderly
Cite this Entry
“Orderly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orderly. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
orderly
1 of 2 adjective
or·der·ly
ˈȯrd-ər-lē
1
a
: arranged in some order or pattern
orderly rows of houses
b
: tidy entry 1 sense 1
kept my desk orderly
c
: regulated by law or system
an orderly universe
d
: methodical sense 2
an orderly thinker
2
: well behaved
an orderly crowd
orderliness
noun
orderly
adverb
orderly
2 of 2 noun
plural orderlies
1
: a soldier who carries messages and performs services for an officer
2
: a person who waits on others, cleans, and does general work in a hospital
Medical Definition
orderly
noun
or·der·ly
-lē
plural orderlies
: a hospital attendant who does routine or heavy work (as carrying supplies or moving patients)
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