ordinal

CEFRB2

/ˈɔː.dɪ.nəl/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Showing the position of something in a series, such as first or second.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Pertaining to a taxon at the rank of order.

Examples

  • Eight hundredth, nine hundredth and one thousandth are ordinal numbers.

  • Some countries use ordinal numbers to count millennia, whereas others count them using cardinal numbers.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
1

Also pronounced

  • /ˈoː.dɪ.nəl/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Indicating position in a sequence.

noun

Extra meanings

  1. An ordinal number such as first, second and third.

  2. A book used in the ordination of Anglican ministers, or in certain Roman Catholic services

More examples

In context

  • "Three" is a cardinal number, while "third" is the corresponding ordinal number.

  • The most common numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals"[…]and the "ordinals"[…]

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

In the sequence, the blank numbers indicate position like first, second, and third.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

Borrowed from Latin ōrdinālis, adjective formed from noun ōrdō (“order”), + adjective suffix -ālis.