chronological

Everyday

1. Chronological means arranged in the order in which things happened, from earliest to latest. tree →
2. «Chronological order» is putting events, dates or steps in time order. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, pupils put events in chronological order on a timeline. In English writing, a recount or biography is often written in chronological order using time words like «first, next, then, finally». In maths and data, sorting by time is a kind of ordering. Phrases: «chronological order», «in chronological order», «reverse chronological order».

Examples

• Put these pictures in chronological order to tell the story. tree →
• Our history timeline is chronological, from the Stone Age to today. tree →
• A diary is written in chronological order. tree →
• The photos on my phone are arranged chronologically. tree →
• The teacher asked us to list the kings in chronological order. tree →
• Reverse chronological order puts the newest first. tree →
• A recount should be chronological so the reader can follow it. tree →

Note

Adjective. Spelled «chrono-» (Greek for time) + «logical». The «ch» sounds like «k»: «kron-o-LOJ-i-kul». Compare: alphabetical order (A to Z), numerical order (by number), chronological order (by time).