Definition of ordinal - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The Latin term ordinālis arrived in Spanish as ordinal .Specifically, that Latin word can be translated as "relative to order" and is made up of two distinct parts: "Ordo", which is synonymous with "order", and the suffix "-al", which is used to indicate "relative to".

This is an adjective that mentions what is linked to a order .The notion is used primarily in the field of mathematics and in the grammar .

Ordinals, for mathematics, are the numbers that represent a certain order within the framework of a set that can be defined as well ordered.The finite ordinal numbers are correspond to the natural numbers , while the infinite ordinal that appears first is named as ω .

Sometimes, they are often confused with the cardinal numbers.However, they are different.Yes, these are used to count and are the “one”, the “two”, the “three”… The ordinals, meanwhile, are used to establish an order, a position, and correspond to "first, second, third...".

In the field of grammar, ordinals are numeral adjectives that allow to reflect a succession of elements with a certain ordering.Third, seventh, ninth and twenty-fifth are some of the adjectives of this type , among many others.

For example: "The French driver finished the race in fourth place, after starring in a serious accident" , "The goal is for the company to be in the first position of regional sales ”, “ I would like to congratulate the director on this tenth anniversary of the institution ”.

The ordinals are often used in the field of sport , as they indicate the position of the participants of a competition.In the standings of a soccer tournament , the champion team is the one that finishes the competition in the first place.

In the same way, it is usual to make use of ordinal numbers to refer to editions of events of all kinds.Clear examples in this regard are the following phrases: "The twenty-first edition of the music awards begins", “The local Independent Film Festival has reached its tenth edition”, “The Ham Fair celebrates its eighth edition this year hoping for more success than ever”…

No less important is to say that ordinals are also used to indicate the direction in which one lives or any other of a place to go to.Yes, it can be said: “The work company for which I did the interview was located on the fourth floor of the metropolis building ”,“ We ​​stayed on the fifth floor of the most luxurious hotel in the city ”,“ I live on the third floor of a block of flats without an elevator ”…

The ordinals can also be points that are mentioned within a law or other rule : “The 14th ordinal of article 258 of the Criminal Code cannot apply in this case ”, “ The Supreme Court could declare that the fourth ordinal of the regulations is unconstitutional ”.