order of business

noun

1. a task assigned or to be dealt with:

   Our first order of business is to reduce expenses.

Word History and Origins

Origin of order of business¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Right now, the first order of business is to shake off the defeat and confront the challenge of Donald Trump's ghastly agenda.

From Salon

But a coalition government has never been the natural order of business in our two-party system, certainly not in these polarized times.

From Los Angeles Times

The next order of business for the Clippers is to have a healthy roster, something they haven’t had in a while.

From Los Angeles Times

The interview didn’t start off that well; Viola wanted to keep things casual so the first order of business was telling Zito to ditch the tie.

From Seattle Times

“EPA’s first order of business should be finalizing strong and necessary limits on climate pollution from new gas and existing coal plants as quickly as possible.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• order of the day