Ordinance or Ordnance?

Our Story

Search...

Ordinance or Ordnance?

What is the difference between "ordinance" and "ordnance"?
  • "Ordinance" means an authoritative rule or regulation. For example:
    • Slavery was abolished by a royal ordinance in 1897.
  • "Ordnance" means military materiel or artillery. For example:
    • Do not touch any military ordnance found in this area.
ordinance_or_ordnance
Got it? Take a quick test.

Ordinance

The noun "ordinance" is an authoritative order or regulation.

Example sentences with "ordinance":
  • No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding. (Philosopher Plato)
  • Law: an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community. (Philosopher Thomas Aquinas)

Ordnance

The mass noun "ordnance" refers to military materiel (e.g., weapons, ammunition, fuel).

Example sentences with "ordnance":
  • The guns are a new and impressive addition to the fort's ordnance.
  • Military aircraft can be used to carry a wide variety of ordnance.
Read about the difference between "materiel" and "material."

Common Terms with "Ordinance" and "Ordnance"

Common terms with "ordinance":
  • tax ordinance
  • land ordinance
  • city ordinance
  • Northwest Ordinance
Common terms with "ordnance":
  • ordnance factory
  • military ordnance
  • Ordnance Corps
  • Ordnance Survey map

"Ordnance Survey Map" or "Ordinance Survey Map"?

Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose of mapping Scotland following the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Ready for the Test?
Here is a confirmatory test for this lesson.

This test can also be:
  • Edited (i.e., you can delete questions and play with the order of the questions).
  • Printed to create a handout.
  • Sent electronically to friends or students.

Help Us To Improve Grammar Monster

  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?
Please tell us using this form.

See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? Ms., Miss, or Mrs? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose? What are nouns? What are mass nouns? The difference between materiel and material List of easily confused words