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ordinal

noun
or·​di·​nal | \ ˈȯrd-nÉ™l How to pronounce ordinal (audio) , ˈȯr-dÉ™-nÉ™l\

Definition of ordinal

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 capitalized [ Middle English, from Medieval Latin ordinale, from Late Latin, neuter of ordinalis ] : a book of rites for the ordination of deacons, priests, and bishops
2 [ Late Latin ordinalis, from ordinalis, adjective ] : ordinal number

ordinal

adjective

Definition of ordinal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of a specified order or rank in a series
2 : of or relating to a taxonomic order

Examples of ordinal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 The second is ordinal-linguistic personification, or OLP, in which different parts of a sequence — days of the week, but also things like letters of the alphabet and months of the year — are each imbued with their own unique personalities. — Cari Romm, The Cut, "I Can’t Stop Reading This Twitter Thread on People Who Literally See Time," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ordinal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ordinal

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for ordinal

Adjective

Late Latin ordinalis, from Latin ordin-, ordo

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More Definitions for ordinal

ordinal

noun
or·​di·​nal | \ ˈȯr-dÉ™-nÉ™l How to pronounce ordinal (audio) \

Kids Definition of ordinal

: ordinal number

More from Merriam-Webster on ordinal

Spanish Central: Translation of ordinal

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