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Glite Dictionary
in order

in order

344 1.6
Neatly arranged and ready to use
  • idiom
: 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.

    The Bricklayer (2023)

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

  • Well, this all seems to be in order.

    Igby Goes Down (2002)

  • Everything seems to be in order.

    God's Country (2012)

  • Keep them in order, and everything else follows.

    Wicked Little Letters (2024)

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

    Jack Be Nimble (1993)

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

    Academic text (2017)

  • Everything is in order.

    Assassins (1995)

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

Synonyms

prepared
vsin order
∞ 1.3

Ready to use or do something when needed

focuses on correct arrangement and proper state rather than timing
set
vsin order
836 2.3

Located in a particular place or position

leans toward correct overall condition rather than just being fixed
organized
vsin order
  • US
751 2.0

Having things in order so they are easy to find

focuses on correct readiness for use rather than structural efficiency
in place
vsin order
647 3.2

Arranged correctly and ready to use

stresses general fitness for use rather than only correct position
arranged
vsin order
31 1.6

Placed in a planned order

emphasizes correct usable condition rather than planning or schedule
ordered
vsin order
24 1.7

Organized neatly so things are easy to find

highlights being properly prepared for action rather than neat arrangement
at the ready
vsin order
21 3.5

Prepared and available to use immediately

contrasts by implying proper arrangement rather than mere immediacy
well-ordered
vsin order
6 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

Antonyms

chaotic
116 4.7

Not organized and full of confusion

disorganized
  • US
37 3.1

Not in a clear order or plan

How Orderly

spotless
40 2.5
in order
344 1.6
tidy
56 1.0
messy
204 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'.