executive order

noun

Examples of executive order in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Despite efforts by the Biden administration to constrain the spyware market through its executive order, trade and visa restrictions, and sanctions, the industry has continued to operate largely without restraint. Vas Panagiotopoulos, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025 Tuesday’s executive order has been quietly dreaded in media circles for months, as reversing the 1997 rule was seen as the most likely path forward for Kennedy’s plan. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued an executive order and cities like Los Angeles are drafting their own ordinances to protect constituents after reports of disturbing encounters with masked agents or those who refuse to identify themselves. Devan Patel, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025 Some arguments in the lawsuit – which comes mere weeks into the academic year and months after Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports – largely reflect those expressed by trans athletes’ critics’ in the larger debate. Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for executive order

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of executive order was in 1862

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Cite this Entry

“Executive order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executive%20order. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

executive order

noun
: an order issued by a government's executive on the basis of authority specifically granted to the executive branch (as by the U.S. Constitution or a congressional act)
the National Security Agency was created by an executive order
compare proclamation, statute

Note: An executive order from the president does not have the force of law until it is printed in the Federal Register.

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