ordinul

Ordinul is a Romanian masculine noun with the definite article, meaning “the order.” It derives from Latin ordo, ordinis, through the development of Romanian into a word that covers both commands and organized sequences. The form ordinul is used when the noun is definite, as in “ordinul de la cel puțin superior.”

The primary senses of ordinul are: 1) a command or directive issued by someone in authority, to be followed or executed; 2) a regulation or official decree issued by an institution or government in a specific context; 3) a chivalric or merit-based decoration, where a person is granted membership or recognition in an order of merit (often used in proper names such as “Ordinul X” or “Ordinul Coroana României”). In the last sense, ordinul functions as a formal title for a distinguished order, and phrases such as “a primi ordinul” or “a fi decorat cu ordinul” are common.

Usage notes include distinguishing ordinul from related terms: ordinul is about command, regulation, or merit orders, while ordo or ordinanță refer to broader notions of order or ordinance in different contexts. In law and administration, the term ordin poate appear in decrees or directives, whereas ordinanța designates a local or governmental ordinance. In everyday Romanian, un ordin is a routine instruction, and ordinul refers to a specific, known order or to a named order of merit.