'well-ordered' originates from the combination of 'well,' meaning 'in a good or satisfactory way,' and 'ordered,' derived from the Old French 'ordre,' meaning 'arrangement or sequence.'

'ordre' transformed into the Middle English word 'ordren,' and eventually became the modern English word 'order,' which combined with 'well' to form 'well-ordered.'

Initially, 'order' meant 'arrangement or sequence,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.