inordinate
adjective
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Although today it describes something that exceeds reasonable limits, inordinate used to be applied to what does not conform to the expected or desired order of things. That sense, synonymous with disorderly and unregulated, is no longer in use, but it offers a hint as to the origins of inordinate. The word traces back to the Latin verb ordinare, meaning “to arrange,” combined with the negating prefix in-. Ordinare is also the ancestor of such English words as coordination, ordain, ordination, and subordinate. The Latin root comes from the noun ordo, meaning “order” or “arrangement,” from which the English word order and its derivatives originate.
Examples of inordinate in a Sentence
James Jackson, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Case managers and special education teachers spend an inordinate amount of time writing and updating IEPs, leaving less time for direct student interaction.
—Scott White, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
In the 30 years since Bridget entered the world in a cloud of Silk Cut, an inordinate amount has changed—when Fielding first created Bridget Jones, email barely existed, let alone Hinge, vapes, and small plate restaurants.
—Hugh Grant, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Program critics say Florida is now spending an inordinate amount of its education resources on the wrong people – rather than focusing on system improvements that would be good for all students.
—Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inordinate
Cite this Entry
“Inordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inordinate. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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inordinate
adjective
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