Adjacent Words

Ordinance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OR'DINANCE, n.
1. A rule established by authority; a permanent rule of action. An ordinance may be a law or statute of sovereign power. In this sense it is often used in the Scriptures. Exodus 15. Numbers 10. Ezra 3. It may also signify a decree, edict or rescript, and the word has sometimes been applied to the statutes of Parliament, but these are usually called acts or laws. In the United States, it is never applied to the acts of Congress, or of a state legislature.
2. Observance commanded.
3. Appointment.
4. Established rite or ceremony. Hebrews 9. In this sense, baptism and the Lord's supper are denominated ordinances.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an authoritative rule [syn: regulation, ordinance]
2: a statute enacted by a city government
3: the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders; "the rabbi's family was present for his ordination" [syn: ordination, ordinance]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French ordenance order, disposition, from Medieval Latin ordinantia, from Latin ordinant-, ordinans, present participle of ordinare to put in order — more at ordain Date: 14th century 1. a. an authoritative decree or direction ; order b. a law set forth by a governmental authority; specifically a municipal regulation 2. something ordained or decreed by fate or a deity 3. a prescribed usage, practice, or ceremony Synonyms: see law

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an authoritative order; a decree. 2 an enactment by a local authority. 3 a religious rite. 4 archaic = ORDONNANCE. Etymology: ME f. OF ordenance f. med.L ordinantia f. L ordinare: see ORDAIN

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ordinance Or"di*nance, n. [OE. ordenance, OF. ordenance, F. ordonnance. See Ordain, and cf. Ordnance, Ordonnance.] 1. Orderly arrangement; preparation; provision. [Obs.] --Spenser. They had made their ordinance Of victual, and of other purveyance. --Chaucer. 2. A rule established by authority; a permanent rule of action; a statute, law, regulation, rescript, or accepted usage; an edict or decree; esp., a local law enacted by a municipal government; as, a municipal ordinance. Thou wilt die by God's just ordinance. --Shak. By custom and the ordinance of times. --Shak. Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. --Luke i. 6. Note: Acts of Parliament are sometimes called ordinances; also, certain colonial laws and certain acts of Congress under Confederation; as, the ordinance of 1787 for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio River; the colonial ordinance of 1641, or 1647. This word is often used in Scripture in the sense of a law or statute of sovereign power. --Ex. xv. 25. --Num. x. 8. --Ezra iii. 10. Its most frequent application now in the United States is to laws and regulations of municipal corporations. --Wharton (Law Dict.). 3. (Eccl.) An established rite or ceremony. 4. Rank; order; station. [Obs.] --Shak. 5. [See Ordnance.] Ordnance; cannon. [Obs.] --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ordinances) An ordinance is an official rule or order. (FORMAL) ...ordinances that restrict building development. = regulation N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

or'-di-nans:

1. Old Testament Use:

This word generally represents chuqqah, something prescribed, enactment, usually with reference to matters of ritual. In the King James Version the same word is frequently translated by "statute" or "statutes," which is also the rendering of a similar Hebrew word, namely, choq. the Revised Version (British and American) generally retains "ordinance," but sometimes substitutes "statute" (e.g. Ex 18:20; Ps 99:7). In one instance the Revised Version (British and American) renders "set portion" (Eze 45:14). The word generally has a religious or ceremonial significance. It is used for instance in connection with the Passover (Ex 12:43; Nu 9:14). According to Ex 12:14, the Passover was "an ordinance for ever," i.e. a permanent institution. In the plural the word is often employed, along with such terms as commandments, laws, etc., with reference to the different prescriptions of the Deuteronomic and Priestly codes (De 6:1,2; Le 18:4).

In 11 passages (Ex 15:25; Jos 24:25; 1Sa 30:25; 2Ki 17:34,37; 2Ch 33:8; 35:13; Ps 119:91; Isa 58:2 twice; Eze 11:20) "ordinance" is the rendering of mishpaT, judgment, decision or sentence by a judge or ruler. In the Book of the Covenant (Ex 20:22-23:33) the term "judgments" denotes civil, as contrasted with ritual, enactments. In 2Ki 17:34 the King James Version employs "manners" and "ordinances" as renderings of this word. In 3 passages (Le 18:30; 22:9; Mal 3:14) "ordinance" is the translation of mishmereth, "charge," which the Revised Version (British and American) restores. In one instance (Ne 10:32) ordinance renders mitswah, "commandment," while in Ezr 3:10 the King James Version the phrase "after the ordinance of David" represents a Hebrew phrase which literally means "upon the hands of David," i.e. under the guidance or direction of David.

2. New Testament Use:

In the New Testament, "ordinance" renders different Greek words, namely,

(1) dikaioma, in Lu 1:6 and Heb 9:1,10. The word means literally, "anything declared right"; but in these passages ceremonial and religious regulation;

(2) dogma, in Eph 2:15; Col 2:14. In the New Testament this word always means a decree or edict (Ac 17:7);

(3) paradosis, in 1Co 11:2 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "traditions";

(4) ktisis, "setting up," "institution" in 1Pe 2:13. The term is used exclusively of the action of God. Peter implies that institutions, apparently human, such as the family and the state, are of divine origin. The same doctrine is found in Ro 13:1.

T. Lewis

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Decree, edict, law, enactment, statute, rule, regulation, command, prescript, order, appointment. 2. Rite, ceremony, observance, sacrament.

Moby Thesaurus

act, appointment, bill, brevet, bull, bylaw, canon, ceremonial, ceremony, code, commandment, convention, declaration, decree, decree-law, decreement, decretal, decretum, dictate, dictation, dictum, diktat, duty, edict, edictum, enactment, fiat, form, form of worship, formality, formula, formulary, function, general principle, golden rule, guideline, guiding principle, holy rite, imperative, institution, ipse dixit, jus, law, legislation, lex, liturgy, maxim, measure, mitzvah, mode of worship, moral, mystery, norm, observance, office, order of worship, ordonnance, practice, precept, prescribed form, prescript, prescription, principium, principle, proclamation, pronouncement, pronunciamento, regulation, rescript, rite, ritual, ritual observance, rituality, rubric, rule, ruling, sacrament, sacramental, senatus consult, senatus consultum, service, settled principle, solemnity, standard, standing order, statute, tenet, ukase, working principle, working rule