ORDINANCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does ordinance mean? 

• ORDINANCE (noun)
  The noun ORDINANCE has 3 senses:

1. an authoritative rule

2. a statute enacted by a city government

3. the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders

  Familiarity information: ORDINANCE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ORDINANCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An authoritative rule

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

ordinance; regulation

Hypernyms ("ordinance" is a kind of...):

prescript; rule (prescribed guide for conduct or action)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ordinance"):

game law (a regulation intended to manage or preserve game animals)

age limit (regulation establishing the maximum age for doing something or holding some position)

assize (the regulation of weights and measures of articles offered for sale)

speed limit (regulation establishing the top speed permitted on a given road)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A statute enacted by a city government

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("ordinance" is a kind of...):

legislative act; statute (an act passed by a legislative body)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Derivation:

ordain (issue an order)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

ordinance; ordination

Context example:

the rabbi's family was present for his ordination

Hypernyms ("ordinance" is a kind of...):

appointment; assignment; designation; naming (the act of putting a person into a non-elective position)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ordinance"):

laying on of hands (laying hands on a person's head to invoke spiritual blessing in Christian ordination)

Holonyms ("ordinance" is a part of...):

holy order (the sacrament of ordination)

Derivation:

ordain (appoint to a clerical posts)

ordain (invest with ministerial or priestly authority)