Orderly

Neatly arranged or organized; showing order and regularity in arrangement or behavior.

adjective

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Imagine This

Picture a classroom where all desks are in tidy, straight rows, labels facing forward, supplies stacked by category, and the floor spotless. A teacher walks in and immediately all students know exactly where to place their things—everything is orderly.

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Sounds Like

OR-der-lee

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Looks Like

Looks like order + ly; resembles the words 'order' and 'ordered'.

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Remember This

Common phrases include 'in an orderly fashion' and 'orderly conduct.' The noun form 'orderliness' describes the quality itself; a hospital worker who assists in patient care is called an 'orderly' (a different sense of the same word).

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Other Forms

orderlinessnoun

orderlynoun

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Connect With

order, organization, tidiness, neatness, discipline, system, method

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Note

Orderly describes both physical arrangement and conduct. It does not mean 'in order' as a requirement or command; for a sequence, use 'in proper order.' The opposite is 'disorderly' or 'chaotic.'

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Study Deeper

Examples

The classroom was kept in an orderly condition, with desks neatly aligned and supplies labeled.
She completed the project in an orderly fashion, checking off each step as she went.

Synonyms

neattidyorganizedsystematicmethodical

Antonyms

disorderlychaoticmessyuntidy

Etymology

From order + -ly; derives from Old French ordre (order), from Latin ordo (row, rank, order).

Mnemonic

ORDERLY: Organized, Rows aligned, Deliberate, Even spacing, Regular, Labeled, You can locate items quickly.

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noun

The quality of being careful, thorough, and persistent in one's work; steady, earnest effort toward a goal.

Similar Words

Related words and words with the same part of speech.

Discipline

noun

1) Training or exercise intended to produce obedience, self-control, and orderly behavior; 2) a branch or field of study; 3) self-control or restraint in thoughts and actions.