Ordinal

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɔː.dɪ.nəl/

Definitions

1. A number that indicates position or order in a sequence, such as first, second, or third
2. A numerical expression that signifies rank or order among items within a sequence, such as third or sixth
3. A number used to show the place or rank of something in a list or sequence

Etymology: "Ordinal" comes from Latin "ōrdinālis," an adjective built from the noun "ōrdō," meaning "order," plus the adjective suffix "-ālis," which marks a thing as belonging to or relating to something. The English word thus began as a plain description of anything connected with arrangement in sequence, and that root sense is still what it carries when we speak of an ordinal number, one that tells position, such as first, second or third. The word's family is easy to spot once you know the root. "Order" itself descends from the same Latin noun "ōrdō," as do "ordain," "ordinance," and "ordinary." The last of these shows the shift that can happen in a word's life: "ordinary" moved from meaning "arranged in regular sequence" to meaning "commonplace," while "ordinal" stayed close to its original, technical sense of rank and position.

Synonyms: numerical, sequential, ranked, positioned

Antonyms: cardinal, unordered