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in order

in order

233 1.6
Neatly arranged and ready to use
  • idiom
translation icon : en orden
  • I have all the paperwork in order if that's what you're worried about.
  • items in order
  • a house in order
  • ranked in order

But if your priorities are not in order, you won't achieve anything.

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Examples

  • A good night's sleep was now in order because there was plenty to do on the morrow.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Well, congratulations are in order then.

  • Everything is back in order, like the way it needs to be.

  • Well, this all seems to be in order.

  • Everything seems to be in order.

  • Keep them in order, and everything else follows.

  • I think a little celebration drink with your father is in order.

  • The jury in the form of time will tell; vigilance and patience are in order.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Everything is in order.

  • The documents are all in order and ready for submission.

Synonyms

set
vsin order
403 2.3

Located in a particular place or position

leans toward correct overall condition rather than just being fixed
in place
vsin order
332 3.2

Arranged correctly and ready to use

stresses general fitness for use rather than only correct position
prepared
vsin order
103 1.3

Ready to use or do something when needed

focuses on correct arrangement and proper state rather than timing
at the ready
vsin order
20 3.5

Prepared and available to use immediately

contrasts by implying proper arrangement rather than mere immediacy
organized
vsin order
  • US
19 2.0

Having things in order so they are easy to find

focuses on correct readiness for use rather than structural efficiency
well-ordered
vsin order
2 4.3

Organized neatly so things are easy to find

points to correct preparation and readiness rather than only orderly form
in apple-pie order
vsin order
  • Archaic
1 7.7

Neat and well organized like a tidy room

focuses on correct preparation and readiness rather than only perfect neatness
arranged
vsin order
1.6

Placed in a planned order

emphasizes correct usable condition rather than planning or schedule
ordered
vsin order
1.7

Organized neatly so things are easy to find

highlights being properly prepared for action rather than neat arrangement

Antonyms

116 4.7

Not organized and full of confusion

38 3.1

Not in a clear order or plan

How Orderly

spotless
41 2.5
in order
233 1.6
tidy
47 1.0
messy
233 1.0
chaotic
116 4.7

Surface Forms

in order positive

Morphology

in + order

The meaning 'arranged or prepared correctly' is directly derivable from combining 'in' (inside/within) and 'order' (sequence/arrangement); the phrase simply indicates something is within a state of order. This is a common, compositionally transparent preposition + noun construction found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

In order comes from a simple picture of things put in a neat order, like books lined up on a shelf or tools laid out on a table. So, it means 'arranged correctly' or 'ready for use'.