reorder

reorder — verb

1. to ask for an additional supply of an item from the company that originally prov

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to ask for an additional supply of an item from the company that originally provided it, because you have sold or used nearly all of what you had.

Example

When the bookshop sold out of the textbook, Andrei reordered fifty copies from the publisher.

transitive: reorder + quantity + from + supplier

The hospital pharmacy checks stock each week and reorders any medicine that is low.

transitive with object as 'any medicine'

Common collocations
  • reorder supplies
  • reorder from a supplier
  • reorder stock
  • reorder automatically
Synonyms
  • restock

    focuses on filling shelves or inventory again, not necessarily ordering from a supplier

  • replenish

    broader — can mean refilling anything used up, not just stock in a business context

  • order more

    more general; does not imply a repeat of a previous order

Antonyms
  • cancel

    to stop an order that was placed

Grammar Patterns

reorder + noun phrase (transitive)

reorder + from + supplier

reorder (intransitive — no object needed)

Usage Note

Common in business and retail contexts. The object is typically a product that sells regularly. When used intransitively, the supplier is often specified with 'from'.

Common Mistakes

I need to reorder my desk drawers.' (when meaning rearrange).
I need to reorder the printer paper from the supplier.
'reorder' in the restock sense always involves requesting more of something, not physically rearranging items.

2. to give a different sequence or arrangement to a set of items, data, or steps, a

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give a different sequence or arrangement to a set of items, data, or steps, altering their existing order.

Example

Antonia reordered the playlist so that the slow songs played before the fast ones.

reorder + noun phrase + 'so that' clause

The teacher asked her students to reorder the sentences in the correct chronological sequence.

infinitive pattern: asked + to reorder

Common collocations
  • reorder a list
  • reorder a sequence
  • reorder data
  • reorder items
Synonyms
  • rearrange

    broader — can mean changing physical positions, not just sequence

  • resequence

    more technical; specifically about changing numerical or chronological order

  • reorganise

    broader — can involve grouping or categorising, not just ordering

  • sort

    often implies putting in a standard order (e.g. alphabetical, numerical) rather than a custom order

Grammar Patterns

reorder + noun phrase (set/list/sequence of items)

Usage Note

The object is typically a set, list, sequence, or collection of items — not a single item. Distinguished from 'rearrange' in that 'reorder' specifically changes the sequence or ranking, while 'rearrange' may also change physical positions without changing order.

Common Mistakes

I reordered him to leave.' (sounds like 'ordered again').
I reordered the names on the list alphabetically.
'reorder' in this sense only applies to sequences of things, not to giving commands.

reorder — noun

Word family

  • reordering
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words involve bringing a supply back to an adequate level, but they differ in scope and context. 'Reorder' is the most specific: it means requesting the same product again from the same supplier, usually through a formal ordering process. 'Restock' focuses on filling shelves, cabinets, or inventory — the action may involve items already in storage rather than a new purchase. 'Replenish' is the broadest of the three; it can apply to anything from refilling a salt shaker to restoring natural resources. For example, a shop assistant reorders printer cartridges from the supplier, then restocks the shelf with the cartridges that arrive, and later replenishes the office stationery drawer — but you would not say 'reorder the stationery drawer'.

reorder ↗restockreplenish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • place a reorder
  • reorder point
  • reorder level

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by adding the prefix 're-' (meaning 'again') to the verb 'order' (from Latin 'ordinare', meaning 'to arrange in a row'). The 'request again' meaning comes from the commercial sense of 'order' (goods), while the 'rearrange' meaning builds on the older sense of 'order' meaning 'put in sequence'. Both uses appeared in English by the 17th century.