Standard Lemma guide

well-order

noun · verb · 2 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.

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A total order of some set such that every nonempty subset contains a least element.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, order-theory, sciences, set-theory

Examples

  • 1986, G. Richter, Noetherian semigroup rings with several objects, G. Karpilovsky (editor), Group and Semigroup Rings, Elsevier (North-Holland), page 237, ̲X is well-order enriched iff every morphism set ̲X(X,Y) carries a well-order ≤_(XY) such that f≨_(XY)g⇒h•f≨_(XY)h•g for every h:Y→Z.
  • 2001, Robert L. Vaught, Set Theory: An Introduction, Springer (Birkhäuser), 2nd Edition, Softcover, page 71, Some simple facts and terminology about well-orders were already given in and just before 1.8.4. Here are some more: In a well-order A, every element x is clearly of just one of these three kinds: x is the first element; x is a successor element - i.e., x has an immediate predecessor; or x is a limit element - i.e., x has a predecessor but no immediate predecessor. The structure (∅, ∅) is a well-order.
  • 2014, Abhijit Dasgupta, Set Theory: With an Introduction to Real Point Sets, Springer (Birkhäuser), page 378, Definition 1226 (Von Neumann Well-Orders). A well-order X is said to be a von Neumann well-order if for every x∈X, we have x=y∈X|y<x (that is x is equal to the set Pred(x) consisting of its predecessors). Clearly the examples listed by von Neumann above, namely empty , empty, empty ,empty, empty ,empty,empty ,empty, ... are all von Neumann well-orders if ordered by the membership relation "∈," and the process can be iterated through the transfinite. Our immediate goal is to show that these and only these are the von Neumann well-orders, with exactly one von Neumann well-order for each ordinal (order type of a well-order). This is called the existence and uniqueness result for the von Neumann well-orders.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To impose a well-order on (a set).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: mathematics, order-theory, sciences, set-theory

Examples

  • The set of positive integers is well-ordered by the relation ≤.
  • 1950, Frederick Bagemihl (translator), Erich Kamke, Theory of Sets, 2006, Dover (Dover Phoenix), page 111, Starting from these special well-ordered subsets, it is then possible to well-order the entire set.
  • 1975 [The Williams & Wilkins Company], Dennis Sentilles, A Bridge to Advanced Mathematics, Dover, 2011, page 182, To carry the analogy a bit further, the axiom of choice implies the ability to well order any set.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: velordning — a type of total order
  • Dutch: welordening — a type of total order
  • Finnish: hyvinjärjestys — a type of total order
  • German: Wohlordnung — a type of total order
  • Hungarian: jólrendezés — a type of total order
  • Norwegian Bokmål: velordning — a type of total order
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: velordning — a type of total order
  • Polish: porządek uporządkowany — a type of total order
  • Swedish: välordning — a type of total order
  • Finnish: hyvinjärjestää — Translations
  • German: wohlordnen — Translations
  • Hungarian: jólrendez — Translations
  • Polish: uporządkowywać — Translations
  • Polish: uporządkować — Translations