Definition & Meaning of "ordinal number"in English

What is an "ordinal number"?

An ordinal number is a number that indicates the position or rank of an item in a sequence. Ordinal numbers answer the question "which one?" and are used to describe the order of items rather than their quantity. Common examples of ordinal numbers include "first," "second," "third," and "twentieth." For instance, in the phrase "She finished in second place," the ordinal number "second" specifies the position she achieved in a competition. Ordinal numbers are important for organizing information, providing clarity about the arrangement of items, and conveying rankings or sequences in various contexts.