Ordered collections are data structures that maintain the sequence of their elements. This means that the order in which items are added is preserved, allowing for easy retrieval based on their position. Common examples of ordered collections include lists, arrays, and tuples in programming languages. These collections are useful for tasks that require maintaining a specific order, such as sorting or iterating through items. Unlike unordered collections, like sets, where the arrangement of elements does not matter, ordered collections provide a way to access elements based on their index or position within the structure.