maintain the order

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "maintain the order" is correct and usable in written English.
This phrase is typically used to indicate that something should remain in its current state, and no changes should be made. For example, you could say, "It's important that we maintain the order of the files in the filing cabinet."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

The Chinese, however, maintain the order of family name first.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Countries all over the world need to securely maintain the order that respects laws.

The Guardian

Jonathan Sumption QC, president of the appeals court, said that if he were to maintain the order that Leeds pay the money into court, Weston would have to prove Leeds were "a slippery organisation, not good for its costs".

The Guardian - Sport

"Military personnel in positions of responsibility must be accountable for their actions or failure to act, if we are to maintain the order and discipline essential to successful military operations," said Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, who is chairman of the committee.

The New York Times

Very well, Heratis replied, but could the government maintain the order to which they were accustomed?Mr Khan's successor as governor resigned within a year, in part due to discontent over loss of services which, shorn of customs-revenues, the city could no longer afford.

The Economist

and maintain the order in which the XYZ co-ordinates and atom information is presented by the authors.

Journal of Cheminformatics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

The crossover operation helps us to maintain the ordering sequence, and thus helps to improve the height generation after generation.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

Interestingly, the arc facets maintain the ordering and arithmetic progression properties of the ORF rings (see Figure 3b).

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Notably, the decoration of the PPy coating significantly increases the thickness and surface roughness of the Co3O4 nanosheets, whereas the Co3O4@PPy hybrid composites well maintain the ordered nanostructure.

Nano-Micro Letters

This approach is invariant to all data preprocessing and normalization steps that maintain the ordering within sample gene expression profiles.

BMC Genomics

"The move is aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and security of territory and territorial airspace and maintaining the order of flight," he said.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "maintain the order" in technical writing, ensure the type of order (chronological, spatial, numerical) is clear to the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "maintain the order" in overly simplistic contexts where more direct verbs like "keep" or "follow" would be clearer and more concise.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "maintain the order" functions primarily as a verb phrase, where "maintain" is the main verb and "the order" is the direct object. Ludwig AI confirms this, indicating that the phrase is grammatically correct. Its function is to denote the act of preserving a specific state or arrangement.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

50%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "maintain the order" is a grammatically correct verb phrase primarily used to express the action of preserving a specific arrangement or condition. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is suitable for use in written English. While not exceedingly common, occurring mostly in news media and scientific contexts, its usage spans different registers, leaning toward professional. Related phrases include "keep the status quo" and "preserve the arrangement". When writing, remember to be clear about what kind of order you are referring to and avoid overuse in simple instructions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

keep the status quo

Indicates a desire to maintain the current conditions without change.

preserve the arrangement

Focuses on the physical or structural aspect of the order, emphasizing its upkeep.

uphold the system

Implies supporting or defending an established structure or set of rules.

sustain the sequence

Highlights continuity and preventing disruption of a series of events or items.

retain the structure

Emphasizes keeping the framework or organizational design intact.

conserve the established pattern

Implies carefully protecting an existing and recognized arrangement.

keep things as they are

A more informal way of expressing the desire to avoid changes.

secure the arrangement

Underscores the aspect of making the order safe and resilient to changes.

ensure continuity

Highlights the importance of uninterrupted continuation of something.

hold the line

Suggests resisting forces that might disrupt the current state.

FAQs

How can I use "maintain the order" in a sentence?

You can use "maintain the order" when you want something to remain in its existing arrangement or condition. For example, "It is important to maintain the order of files."

What does "maintain the order" mean?

"Maintain the order" means to keep something in its current state, without allowing any changes or disruptions to it.

Which is a better alternative to "maintain the order", "preserve the arrangement" or "uphold the system"?

The better alternative depends on the context. "Preserve the arrangement" focuses on physical order, while ""uphold the system"" implies supporting a set of rules or a structure.

What is the difference between "maintain the order" and "keep the status quo"?

"Maintain the order" refers to preserving a specific arrangement or sequence, whereas ""keep the status quo"" means maintaining the existing state of affairs in a broader sense, often related to social or political conditions.