or·der·ly
ˈȯr-dər-lē 
1
2
: well behaved : peaceful
an orderly crowd
orderly
adverb
plural orderlies
1
: a soldier assigned to perform various services (such as carrying messages) for a superior officer
2
: a hospital attendant who does routine or heavy work (such as cleaning, carrying supplies, or moving patients)
Synonyms
Examples of orderly in a Sentence
Adjective
an orderly arrangement of pictures
She sorted the information into orderly categories.
Outside the theater, an orderly line of people waited to buy tickets.
an orderly crowd of protesters
Please exit the building in an orderly fashion.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mick Krever, CNN, 1 Feb. 2025
Armed Hamas militants formed a line leading to the stage in an orderly handover, a contrast to the chaotic crowds that surrounded hostages during a handover Thursday, angering Israel.
—Mohammad Jahjouh, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2025
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2025
But the series will get a taste of Tennessee in April when country singer Jelly Roll makes his acting debut as a hospital orderly.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for orderly 
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Adjective
Tel Aviv, Israel CNN — Hamas on Saturday released three Israeli hostages from captivity in two orderly handover ceremonies that stood in marked contrast to chaotic scenes earlier this week.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 1 Feb. 2025
Armed Hamas militants formed a line leading to the stage in an orderly handover, a contrast to the chaotic crowds that surrounded hostages during a handover Thursday, angering Israel.
—Mohammad Jahjouh, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2025
Noun
Jelly Roll previously made a cameo as himself in the series Tulsa King, but in this new Fire Country role, the Tennessee native will be portraying a character, a hospital orderly named Noah.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2025
But the series will get a taste of Tennessee in April when country singer Jelly Roll makes his acting debut as a hospital orderly.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for orderly
Dictionary Entries Near orderly
Cite this Entry
“Orderly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orderly. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
orderly
1 of 2 adjective
or·der·ly
ˈȯrd-ər-lē
1
a
: arranged in some order or pattern
orderly rows of houses
b
: tidy entry 1 sense 1
kept my desk orderly
c
: regulated by law or system
an orderly universe
d
: methodical sense 2
an orderly thinker
2
: well behaved
an orderly crowd
orderliness
noun
orderly
adverb
orderly
2 of 2 noun
plural orderlies
1
: a soldier who carries messages and performs services for an officer
2
: a person who waits on others, cleans, and does general work in a hospital
Medical Definition
orderly
noun
or·der·ly
-lē
plural orderlies
: a hospital attendant who does routine or heavy work (as carrying supplies or moving patients)
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