Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

higher-order

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.01 in modern English

Syllables: high-er-order
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Involving more sophisticated thinking or reasoning.

adj

Of or relating to a class higher up in a hierarchy.

adj

Of order 2 or greater.

Example Sentences

"higher-order thinking"
"It is at least plausible that expert-level crime policy rulemaking (in the interest of reform) may be necessary in a system... [which] will thus remain susceptible to the prospect of punitive populism arising within any one of an array of higher-order bounded publics."

Etymology

From higher + order.

Phrases

higher-order function

Frequently Paired Words

higher-order function

Questions

What does higher-order mean?: Involving more sophisticated thinking or reasoning.
Where does higher-order come from?: From higher + order.

How to pronounce higher-order

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “higher-order”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “higher-order” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.