Ordinance Definition
ôrdn-əns
ordinances
noun
ordinances
A direction or command of an authoritative nature.
Webster's New World
That which is held to be a decree of fate or of a deity.
Webster's New World
An established or prescribed practice or usage, esp. a religious rite.
Webster's New World
A Christian rite, especially the Eucharist.
American Heritage
A governmental, now esp. municipal, statute or regulation.
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Ordinance
Noun
Singular:
ordinance
Plural:
ordinancesOrigin of Ordinance
-
Middle English ordinaunce from Old French ordenance from Medieval Latin ōrdinantia from Latin ōrdināns ōrdinant- present participle of ōrdināre to ordain from ōrdō ōrdin- order ar- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Middle English (ca. 1300), from Old French ordenance (Modern French ordonnance) "decree, command", from Middle Latin ordinantia, from ordinans, the present participle of Latin ordinare "put in order" (whence ordain).
From Wiktionary
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