What does the phrase "in order to" function as?

Question

I was wondering what function the phrase "in order to" has. 
I have thought for quite a while that it was used a a conjunction. However, I have recently seen sentences that use this phrase in other ways such as a clause or an adverb.
Is "in order to" a conjunction or an adverb or some other clause or phrase?

Jonathan · Accepted Answer

"In order to" is a subordinating conjunction.  (I.e. a clause that follows "in order to" becomes a subordinate clause, which needs a main clause to make a complete sentence.)

"In order to" generally introduces a "final clause," which is a clause that states a purpose.

The subordinate clause introduced by "in order to" is an adverbial clause, but the phrase itself is not categorized as an adverb.

A discussion of "however," a conjunction that can be an adverb, may be of interest to you.  If so, take a look at this blog post.

References:

"In Order to" in English Grammar Today

"Final Clause" in Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage

DBlomgren · Answer

I have the same question RK01. Yes, the English Grammar Today link explains "in order to" is a subordinating conjunction followed by a subordinate clause. However, a clause is a subject plus a (conjugated) verb
I went to the store to buy milk.
To buy milk has no subject, so how can it be a clause?
This German grammar site, https://www.dartmouth.edu/~deutsch/Grammatik/WordOrder/Infinitives.html, explains "infinitive clauses are a kind of dependent clause in which there is no grammatical subject, only an implied one, and therefore the verb is not inflected". Okay. So German and English grammarians agree there's such a thing as an infinitive clause and it has no subject. Great.
Now, let's turn to French and Spanish, both Romantic languages. The French translations for "in order to" are the preposition pour or afin de:
I went to the store in order to buy milk.
Je suis allée au magasin pour acheter du lait.
pour = preposition
acheter du lait = object of the preposition. Not your normal noun for object of the preposition, but okay.
The Spanish translations for "in order to" are all prepositions: para, con el fin de, a fin de, al objeto de.
I went to the store in order to buy milk.
Fui a la tienda para comprar leche.
para = preposition
comprar leche = object of the preposition.
What gives?

What does the phrase "in order to" function as?

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