# DESC

An ORDER BY direction that sorts from higher values to lower values.

## What does **DESC** do in a relational database?

**DESC** — An ORDER BY direction that sorts from higher values to lower values.

```sql
SELECT order_id, ordered_on
FROM purchase_order
ORDER BY ordered_on DESC;
```

Level: Novice · [More Database terms at this level](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/subjects/database/novice)

Updated: September 27, 2026

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/desc