alphabetical
gb/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl/ us/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl/
B1
English
betűrendes, ábécérend szerinti, ábécérendben, alfabetikus, betű, betűkből álló
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[things] are alphabetical (by [word/field])
The employee names are in an alphabetical list by last name.
Az alkalmazottak nevei vezetéknév szerint ábécérendben szerepelnek a listán.
Please keep the customer folders alphabetical so they’re easy to find.
Kérjük, tartsa az ügyfélmappákat ábécérendben, hogy könnyen megtalálhatók legyenek.
The glossary is alphabetical, not grouped by topic.
Learner examples
The words are in alphabetical order.
A szavak ábécérendben vannak.
I keep my contacts alphabetical.
Ábécérendben tartom a névjegyeimet.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse alphabetical order with numerical or chronological order; it is based on letter order.
Meaning
arranged by the alphabet
Collocations
alphabetical order
|alphabetical list
|alphabetical index
|alphabetical directory
|alphabetical arrangement
|alphabetical filing system
|alphabetical sequence
|alphabetical sorting
|alphabetical by last name
|alphabetical by first name
Synonyms
alphabetized (More directly means 'put into alphabetical order,' often for lists or files.)
|
sorted (Broader; can be sorted by many criteria, not only letters.)
Antonyms
random (Not arranged by any ordering rule.)
|
chronological (Arranged by time rather than by letters.)
Themes
education
|writing
|organization
Definition
Put in A-to-Z order.
Arranged according to the order of the letters of the alphabet, typically from A to Z.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
an alphabetical [character/string/system]
Enter only alphabetical characters in this field.
Ebbe a mezőbe csak betűket írjon be.
Your password must include at least one alphabetical character and one number.
A jelszavának legalább egy betűt és egy számot kell tartalmaznia.
The form rejects names with non-alphabetical symbols.
Learner examples
Use alphabetical characters, not numbers.
Betűket használj, ne számokat.
Common mistake:
Learners often use alphabetic/alphabetical interchangeably; in many contexts both work, but 'alphabetical' is most common for ordering and 'alphabetic' is more common in technical descriptions.
Meaning
relating to letters of alphabet
Collocations
alphabetical characters
|alphabetical string
|alphabetical code
|alphabetical symbol
|alphabetical script
|alphabetical system
Synonyms
alphabetic (Often preferred in technical or linguistic contexts for 'relating to an alphabet.')
|
letter (Used attributively in some contexts (e.g., 'letter characters'), but less standard.)
Antonyms
numeric (Consisting of numbers rather than letters.)
|
nonalphabetic (Not made up of alphabet letters.)
Themes
writing
|computing
|language
Definition
Using letters (A–Z), not numbers.
Relating to an alphabet or consisting of letters rather than numbers or other symbols.
Grammar
Dictionary form
alphabetical
IPA
GB/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl/
US/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl/
Syllables & stress
al - pha - bet - ic (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (bet)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: alphabetical
Word family
Core family
alphabet
noun A1
alphabetically
adverb
Related words
alphabetic
adjective
alphabetize
verb
Advanced or less common
alphabetization
noun
Expressions
alphabetical arrangement
1/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl ɚˈeɪnd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
arrangement based on alphabet
An A-to-Z arrangement.
Examples
- The files are kept in alphabetical arrangement by client name.
- For quick access, the spices are in alphabetical arrangement.
- We changed the display from category view to alphabetical arrangement.
Learner examples
- The folders are in alphabetical arrangement.
alphabetical index
1/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl ˈɪndɛks/
fixed phrase
A-to-Z index for finding items
An A-to-Z index to find information.
Examples
- Check the alphabetical index at the back of the book.
- The app includes an alphabetical index of medications.
- The manual’s alphabetical index makes troubleshooting easier.
Learner examples
- Use the alphabetical index to find the page.
alphabetical list
1/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl lˈɪst/
fixed phrase
list sorted A to Z
A list in A-to-Z order.
Examples
- We made an alphabetical list of everyone invited.
- The website provides an alphabetical list of services.
- She keeps an alphabetical list of her book collection.
Learner examples
- I made an alphabetical list of names.
alphabetical order
1/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl ˈɔɹdɚ/
fixed phrase
A-to-Z ordering of items
A-to-Z order.
Examples
- Put these cities in alphabetical order.
- The bibliography is in alphabetical order by author.
- The playlist is sorted in alphabetical order.
Learner examples
- Write the words in alphabetical order.
alphabetical sorting
1/ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl sˈɔɹtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
sorting items by letter order
Sorting in A-to-Z order.
Examples
- Enable alphabetical sorting to display the contacts from A to Z.
- The spreadsheet applies alphabetical sorting to the product names.
- Alphabetical sorting makes the results easier to scan.
Learner examples
- The app uses alphabetical sorting.
in alphabetical order
1/ˈɪn ˌælfəbˈɛtɪkəl ˈɔɹdɚ/
fixed phrase
arranged A to Z
In A-to-Z order.
Examples
- The students are lined up in alphabetical order by last name.
- Keep the ingredients in alphabetical order so you can find them quickly.
- The references appear in alphabetical order.
Learner examples
- The names are in alphabetical order.