executive order

noun

: regulation sense 2b

Examples of executive order in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Courts stripped the President’s executive orders of meaningful impact. — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 The push is attempting to cut down on wait times for crime victims accessing services and take inventory of the state’s violence prevention efforts under his tenure, according to an executive order obtained by The Sacramento Bee. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, El-Sayed pointed to a funding issue and pushed to fund the Department of Education, which is being dismantled following executive orders signed in 2025. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 DeSantis, who has suspended Central Florida elected officials in the past, has not issued an executive order removing Espinosa from office as of Thursday afternoon. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for executive order

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of executive order was in 1862

Rhymes for executive order

See All Rhymes for executive order

Browse Nearby Words

executive officer
executive order
executive privilege
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Executive order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executive%20order. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

executive order

noun
: an order issued by a government's executive on the basis of authority specifically granted to the executive branch (as by the U.S. Constitution or a congressional act)
the National Security Agency was created by an executive order
compare proclamation, statute

Note: An executive order from the president does not have the force of law until it is printed in the Federal Register.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All