Standard Lemma guide

ordinal

adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɔː.dɪ.nəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, US: /ˈɔɹ.dɪ.nəl/
  • Australian: /ˈoː.dɪ.nəl/
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)dɪnəl
  • rhymes with -ɔːɹdnəl

1

adj

Meaning 1

Indicating position in a sequence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Pertaining to a taxon at the rank of order.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, taxonomy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Intercardinal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An ordinal number such as first, second and third.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A unique serial number assigned to a satoshi based on its position in the blockchain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrency, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

being or denoting a numerical order in a series

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • ordinal numbers
  • held an ordinal rank of seventh

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: cardinal

8

adjective

Meaning 8

of or relating to a taxonomic order

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • family and ordinal names of animals and plants

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

the number designating place in an ordered sequence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ordinal number, no.

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: number

Narrower terms: first, number one, number 1

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: դասական (dasakan) — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Bulgarian: реден (reden) — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Czech: řadový — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Czech: pořadový — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Finnish: ordinaalinen — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • French: ordinal — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • French: ordinaux — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Georgian: რიგობითი (rigobiti) — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Georgian: რიგობრივი (rigobrivi) — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Georgian: რიგითი (rigiti) — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • German: ordinal — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Hungarian: sorszám — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Indonesian: ordinal — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Latin: ordinalis — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Portuguese: ordinal — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Russian: поря́дковый (porjádkovyj) — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Serbo-Croatian: redni — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Spanish: ordinal — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Tagalog: panunod — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Welsh: trefnol — indicating position in a numerical sequence
  • Finnish: lahkon — taxonomy: of or relating to orders
  • Finnish: lahko- — taxonomy: of or relating to orders
  • Breton: niver petvediñ (pl niveroù petvediñ) — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Bulgarian: числително редно (čislitelno redno) — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Danish: ordenstal — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Danish: ordinaltal — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Finnish: ordinaali — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Finnish: ordinaalilukusana — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Finnish: ordinaaliluku — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Finnish: järjestysluku — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • French: ordinal — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Georgian: რიგობითი რიცხვი (rigobiti ricxvi) — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Serbo-Croatian: redni broj — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Tagalog: bilang na panunod — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Welsh: trefnolyn — ordinal number — see also ordinal number
  • Finnish: ordinaali — book