under orders of

USAGE SUMMARY

"under orders of" is correct and usable in written English.
It means to obey an order or command given by someone else. For example, "The soldiers marched under orders of their commanding officer."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

49 human-written examples

They did so under orders of the stable-master, who faces a separate trial.

The Economist

Turkey's State Supervisory Board, acting under orders of the current president, recently decided to find out.

The New York Times

Mr. Constantin was one of 25,000 Gypsies deported from this country under orders of Marshal Ion Antonescu, who was supported by Nazi Germany.

The New York Times

Petrograd, Nov. 7--An armed naval detachment, under orders of the Maximalist Revolutionary Committee, has occupied the offices of the official Petrograd Telegraph Agency.

The New York Times

He has been voluntarily taking medication since July; for months before that, he was medicated by force, under orders of the Bureau of Prisons, Judge Burns said.

The New York Times

Under orders of the Comintern, Nosaka went to the United States twice in the 1930s to do underground work such as smuggling Communist tracts into Japan.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

11 human-written examples

Such officers or agents, although acting under order of the United States, are therefore personally liable to be sued for their own infringement of a patent.

Cornell University

The district attorney, under order of the court, elected to proceed upon the first, sixth, twelfth, sixteenth, twenty-sixth, and thirty-second counts.

Cornell University

In October of that year, under order of the president, Bork fired Cox, who had been appointed to investigate the Watergate scandal.

Encyclopedia Britannica

By the mid-11th century the church had successfully repressed the heretics, burning a dozen or so at Orléans under order of the king.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The document was released under order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York and provides the most detailed explanation to date for the legal reasoning behind Awlaki's killing.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "under orders of", ensure the context clearly identifies the individual or entity issuing the orders to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "under orders of" if the action was merely a suggestion or request, not a direct command. Use a phrase like "at the suggestion of" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "under orders of" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb. It indicates that an action is carried out because of a command or instruction from a specified authority, as confirmed by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "under orders of" is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that an action is performed due to a command from an authority. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and commonly used, particularly in news, encyclopedias, and wiki contexts. The phrase has a neutral to formal register and is valuable for attributing responsibility. For alternative phrasings, consider "by command of" or "as instructed by". When using this phrase, ensure that the authority figure giving the orders is clearly identified. Avoid using it if the situation was a suggestion or request, and not a direct command.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

following the orders of

A slightly more verbose but equally valid way to express obedience to commands.

as instructed by

This option is a more straightforward way of saying that someone followed specific instructions.

as directed by

This phrase puts the emphasis on the direction or guidance received.

by command of

This alternative emphasizes the direct and authoritative nature of the instruction.

acting on the instructions of

This emphasizes the action taken based on provided instructions.

at the direction of

This phrase suggests that someone is guiding or controlling the actions of another.

under the direction of

This alternative emphasizes the supervision or control under which the action is performed.

on the authority of

This phrase indicates that an action is taken with the explicit permission or power granted by someone.

pursuant to the instructions of

A formal way of saying that an action is carried out following a set of directions.

by the mandate of

This phrase suggests a formal or official command.

FAQs

How can I use "under orders of" in a sentence?

Use "under orders of" to indicate that someone is acting according to a specific command or instruction from an authority figure. For example, "The soldiers moved forward "under orders of" their captain".

What's a less formal alternative to "under orders of"?

For less formal contexts, you could use phrases like "as instructed by" or "as directed by".

Is it correct to say "under the order of" instead of "under orders of"?

While "under the order of" might seem grammatically similar, the standard and more widely accepted phrasing is ""under orders of"".

What's the difference between "under orders of" and "under the command of"?

"Under orders of" specifies that an action is performed because of a direct instruction. "Under the command of" refers more broadly to being part of a chain of authority or hierarchy, such as in the military.