ordinere

Ordinere is a Norwegian verb with two primary senses. It can mean to ordain or to confer holy orders on someone, and it can also mean to prescribe or authorize the use of medicines by a health professional. The religious sense is used for the official act by which a person is set apart for ministry, typically performed by a bishop or other church authority. The medical sense is used when a physician or other prescriber specifies a treatment or medication for a patient.

In religious contexts, ordination is a formal rite that may be accompanied by a laying on of hands and is required in many Christian traditions for someone to serve as a priest, deacon, or other clergy member. The practice and requirements for ordination vary between denominations, but the core idea is the official commissioning of a person for religious duties.

In medical contexts, to ordain a drug means to authorize its prescription or dispensing. This usage appears in clinical settings and healthcare documentation, where physicians determine dosages, indications, and duration for patient care.

Etymology: the verb originates from Latin ordinare, via Old French ordonner, and entered Norwegian through broader European linguistic contact, with cognates in Danish and Swedish.

Conjugation and usage: in Norwegian Bokmål and Nynorsk, ordinere is treated as a regular verb of the -ere class. Common forms include present tense ordinerer and past tense ordinerte; the past participle is typically formed as ordineret or ordinerte, depending on standard orthography and regional practice. The verb is used across formal and professional registers.

See also: ordination, prescription (medicine).