orderly
nounEtymology From order + -ly.
1
A hospital attendant given a variety of non-medical duties.
2
Government, Military, Politics, War A soldier who carries out minor tasks for a superior officer.
orderly
adjUS /ˈɔɹdɚli/ · UK /ˈɔːdəli/
Etymology From order + -ly.
1
Neat and tidy; possessing order.
- He has always kept an orderly kitchen, with nothing out of place.
2
Methodical or systematic.
- We live in an orderly universe, where rules govern both the movements of planets and the binding of molecules.
- I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.2026 June 22, Keir Starmer, resignation speech:
3
Peaceful; well-behaved.
- An orderly gathering of citizens stood on the corner awaiting the bus.
4
Being on duty; keeping order; conveying orders.
- aids-de-camp and orderly men1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
- Synonyms
- regular, trim, well-kept, all Sir Garnet, Bristol fashion and shipshape, in order, neat, neat and tidy, neat as a new pin, neat as a pin, nice as ninepence, orderly, prest, ruly, shipshape, shipshape and Bristol fashion, squared away, tidy, tight, tiptop, tosh, trig
- Antonyms
- disorderly
- Derived terms
- disorderly, misorderly, nonorderly, orderliness, unorderly
- Related terms
- clean, restrained, presentable
- Hyponyms
- organized, uniform, methodical, systematic, dink, kempt, smart, spruce, well-groomed