upon order of

USAGE SUMMARY

"upon order of" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It's used to indicate that something is happening because of an instruction from someone in authority. For example: "The police were dispatched to the scene upon order of the Chief of Police."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

In that case, after federal agents unlawfully seized papers belonging to the Silverthornes and to their lumber company, the documents were returned upon order of the court.

Cornell University

The clerk or jury commission may, upon order of the court, prepare an alphabetical list of the names drawn from the master jury wheel.

Cornell University

not transfer, suspend, or otherwise modify the domain name during the pendency of the action, except upon order of the court.

Cornell University

Unless agreement can be reached between the two sides by 24 May, the families are likely to be released upon order of the courts, punching a large hole in the Obama administration's deterrent approach at the border.

The Guardian

As far as I know, hostages in France were shot by the Armed Forces; in Norway, upon order of the Reich Commissioner Terboven, as far as I know, by the Sipo.

Yale University

Gifts, bequests, or devises of money and proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, bequests, or devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be available for disbursement upon order of the Commission.

Cornell University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

On 2 March, the Army was renamed Army of the Danube, upon orders of the French Directory.

Wikipedia

Here's her choice: an invasive sodomization with a transducer, upon orders of the State, or carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term.

Huffington Post

"The VSC procedure may be initiated to neutralise a race upon the order of the clerk of the course.

The Guardian - Sport

In 2012 he claimed he received the scholarship based upon an order of Ayatollah Khamenei, but offered no further explanation.

The Guardian

In an eventually consistent system, servers could use any of a variety of techniques to agree upon the order of Writes.

Cornell University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "upon order of" when you want to emphasize that an action is being carried out because of a specific instruction from a person or entity in a position of authority.

Common error

Avoid substituting "upon" with "on" in the phrase, as "on order of" is less formal and can sometimes be grammatically incorrect depending on the context. "Upon order of" maintains a more formal and precise tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "upon order of" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb, indicating the condition or reason for an action. As Ludwig AI confirms, it signifies that something is done due to an instruction from an authority. Examples in Ludwig illustrate its use in legal, military and general contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Academia

30%

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "upon order of" is a formal prepositional phrase used to indicate that an action is carried out because of a direct instruction from an authority. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a grammatically correct phrase, though not as common as some alternatives. It appears most frequently in academic, news, and scientific contexts, signaling a formal register. When writing, use "upon order of" to emphasize compliance and accountability. Consider alternatives like "by command of" in cases where you want to vary your phrasing. Avoid the less formal "on order of" for maintaining precision in formal documents. The presence of "upon order of" across academic sources, news outlets, and scientific publications underscores its versatility in conveying authority and instruction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

by command of

Replaces "order" with "command", emphasizing the authoritative nature of the instruction.

at the direction of

Substitutes "order" with "direction", highlighting guidance or instruction.

on the instruction of

Uses "instruction" instead of "order", focusing on the informative aspect of the directive.

as instructed by

Emphasizes the action being performed according to instructions received.

as directed by

Similar to "as instructed by", emphasizing the act of following direction.

under the authority of

Highlights the power or jurisdiction behind the directive.

pursuant to the decree of

A more formal phrasing using "decree" to denote an official order.

by the authorization of

Focuses on the permission or approval granted for the action.

in accordance with the mandate of

Highlights compliance with a formal mandate or requirement.

following the ordinance of

Uses "ordinance" to indicate a rule or law that is being followed.

FAQs

How can I use "upon order of" in a sentence?

You can use "upon order of" to indicate that an action is taken because someone in authority has instructed it, such as "The documents were released "upon order of" the judge".

What is a more common alternative to "upon order of"?

While "upon order of" is correct, more common alternatives include phrases like "by command of" or "at the direction of". These alternatives /s/by+command+of and /s/at+the+direction+of can be used depending on the specific context to convey a similar meaning.

Is "upon order of" formal or informal?

"Upon order of" is considered a formal phrase. In less formal contexts, you might use phrases such as "as instructed by" or "following instructions from" instead. See also /s/as+instructed+by.

Can I use "on order of" instead of "upon order of"?

While "on order of" might be encountered, "upon order of" is generally considered more grammatically correct and formal. It's advisable to use ""upon order of"" in formal writing.