Advanced · Commonly confused · Law & order
Ordinance: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Ordinance noun. An official order or rule, especially a local law.
How to say it
OR-dih-nunss/ˈɔːdɪnəns/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (OR).
Ordinance in a sentence
A city ordinance bans leaf blowers before eight in the morning.
The king issued an ordinance fixing the price of bread.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- decree
- regulation
- bylaw
- edict
Usage note
An ordinance is a rule or local law; ordnance (no i) is military guns and ammunition. Unexploded ordnance is a bomb, not a forgotten bylaw.
Don’t confuse with ordnance
ordnance (noun): Military weapons, ammunition and equipment, especially big guns.
Where ordinance comes from
From Old French ordenance, from Latin ordinare, to put in order.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The king issued an _____ fixing the price of bread.
- stationery
- compliment
- ordinance
Show the answer
ordinance: The king issued an ordinance fixing the price of bread.