What does inordinately mean?
“Inordinately” is an adverb meaning “to an excessive or improper degree.” It is used especially before adjectives such as high, long, expensive, or interested, as in “an inordinately long delay” and “she became inordinately interested in maps.” The word carries a formal, sometimes critical tone: it suggests that an amount, degree, or concern has gone well beyond what is usual or reasonable. Although it can intensify a negative quality, it can also simply emphasize that something is unusually large or intense; context determines whether the judgment is explicit. The adverb is common in British and American English. Its usefulness lies in its combination of precision and force: “excessively” can sound blunt, while “inordinately” more formally signals disproportion or excess. It also distinguishes something merely noticeable from something unreasonably excessive.
adverbTo an excessive or improper degree; excessively.
- To an excessive or improper degree.
"The project was delayed by an inordinately long series of meetings."
"She showed an inordinately strong interest in the history of navigation."
"The repairs proved inordinately expensive and took far longer than expected."
“Inordinately” grew from a warning that something was “not in order”: its Latin roots combined “not” with “order,” ultimately creating a formal way to say “excessively.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inordinately come from?
The adverb was formed in the early 17th century from inordinate plus the suffix -ly. Inordinate was borrowed from Medieval Latin inordinatus, meaning “excessive” or “out of order,” and was based on Latin in- (“not”) with ordinatus (“ordered”), ultimately derived from ordo (“order”). Words including coordinate, subordinate, ordain, and ordinary belong to the same Latin family relating to order.
Related word forms
How inordinately is actually used
Formal in register and often critical in tone, though it can also emphasize an unusually great degree without necessarily condemning what is being described. It is especially common before adjectives such as high, long, expensive, and interested.
Easily confused with inordinately
Inordinately is the adverb meaning “excessively,” while inordinate is the corresponding adjective meaning “excessive” or “beyond proper bounds.”