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.
On the first day of his second term, the Republican president repealed a Biden-era executive order aimed in part at guarding against the risks that AI systems pose to consumers, workers and national security. — Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 The president's executive order now allows clear diesel users to use red diesel--and be taxed at the lower rate. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 The initiative follows a June executive order aimed at accelerating quantum technology deployment, commercialization and domestic manufacturing. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026 The president issued an executive order earlier this week that allows truckers to use tax-exempt offroad diesel on highways without worrying about federal penalties. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 9 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

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Browse Nearby Words

executive officer
executive order
executive privilege
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Cite this Entry

“Executive order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executive%20order. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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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.

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