diff --git a/datafusion/src/scalar.rs b/datafusion/src/scalar.rs
index 3896055e9233..3fbcadd3de5a 100644
--- a/datafusion/src/scalar.rs
+++ b/datafusion/src/scalar.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ use arrow::{
     },
 };
 use ordered_float::OrderedFloat;
+use std::cmp::Ordering;
 use std::convert::{Infallible, TryInto};
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::{convert::TryFrom, fmt, iter::repeat, sync::Arc};
@@ -156,6 +157,81 @@ impl PartialEq for ScalarValue {
     }
 }
 
+// manual implementation of `PartialOrd` that uses OrderedFloat to
+// get defined behavior for floating point
+impl PartialOrd for ScalarValue {
+    fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Option<Ordering> {
+        use ScalarValue::*;
+        // This purposely doesn't have a catch-all "(_, _)" so that
+        // any newly added enum variant will require editing this list
+        // or else face a compile error
+        match (self, other) {
+            (Boolean(v1), Boolean(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Boolean(_), _) => None,
+            (Float32(v1), Float32(v2)) => {
+                let v1 = v1.map(OrderedFloat);
+                let v2 = v2.map(OrderedFloat);
+                v1.partial_cmp(&v2)
+            }
+            (Float32(_), _) => None,
+            (Float64(v1), Float64(v2)) => {
+                let v1 = v1.map(OrderedFloat);
+                let v2 = v2.map(OrderedFloat);
+                v1.partial_cmp(&v2)
+            }
+            (Float64(_), _) => None,
+            (Int8(v1), Int8(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Int8(_), _) => None,
+            (Int16(v1), Int16(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Int16(_), _) => None,
+            (Int32(v1), Int32(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Int32(_), _) => None,
+            (Int64(v1), Int64(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Int64(_), _) => None,
+            (UInt8(v1), UInt8(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (UInt8(_), _) => None,
+            (UInt16(v1), UInt16(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (UInt16(_), _) => None,
+            (UInt32(v1), UInt32(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (UInt32(_), _) => None,
+            (UInt64(v1), UInt64(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (UInt64(_), _) => None,
+            (Utf8(v1), Utf8(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Utf8(_), _) => None,
+            (LargeUtf8(v1), LargeUtf8(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (LargeUtf8(_), _) => None,
+            (Binary(v1), Binary(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Binary(_), _) => None,
+            (LargeBinary(v1), LargeBinary(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (LargeBinary(_), _) => None,
+            (List(v1, t1), List(v2, t2)) => {
+                if t1.eq(t2) {
+                    v1.partial_cmp(v2)
+                } else {
+                    None
+                }
+            }
+            (List(_, _), _) => None,
+            (Date32(v1), Date32(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Date32(_), _) => None,
+            (Date64(v1), Date64(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (Date64(_), _) => None,
+            (TimestampSecond(v1), TimestampSecond(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (TimestampSecond(_), _) => None,
+            (TimestampMillisecond(v1), TimestampMillisecond(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (TimestampMillisecond(_), _) => None,
+            (TimestampMicrosecond(v1), TimestampMicrosecond(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (TimestampMicrosecond(_), _) => None,
+            (TimestampNanosecond(v1), TimestampNanosecond(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (TimestampNanosecond(_), _) => None,
+            (IntervalYearMonth(v1), IntervalYearMonth(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (IntervalYearMonth(_), _) => None,
+            (IntervalDayTime(v1), IntervalDayTime(v2)) => v1.partial_cmp(v2),
+            (IntervalDayTime(_), _) => None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl Eq for ScalarValue {}
 
 // manual implementation of `Hash` that uses OrderedFloat to
@@ -1577,4 +1653,74 @@ mod tests {
         // per distinct value.
         assert_eq!(std::mem::size_of::<ScalarValue>(), 32);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn scalar_partial_ordering() {
+        use ScalarValue::*;
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            Int64(Some(33)).partial_cmp(&Int64(Some(0))),
+            Some(Ordering::Greater)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            Int64(Some(0)).partial_cmp(&Int64(Some(33))),
+            Some(Ordering::Less)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            Int64(Some(33)).partial_cmp(&Int64(Some(33))),
+            Some(Ordering::Equal)
+        );
+        // For different data type, `partial_cmp` returns None.
+        assert_eq!(Int64(Some(33)).partial_cmp(&Int32(Some(33))), None);
+        assert_eq!(Int32(Some(33)).partial_cmp(&Int64(Some(33))), None);
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int32(Some(1)), Int32(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int32)
+            )
+            .partial_cmp(&List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int32(Some(1)), Int32(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int32)
+            )),
+            Some(Ordering::Equal)
+        );
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int32(Some(10)), Int32(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int32)
+            )
+            .partial_cmp(&List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int32(Some(1)), Int32(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int32)
+            )),
+            Some(Ordering::Greater)
+        );
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int32(Some(1)), Int32(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int32)
+            )
+            .partial_cmp(&List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int32(Some(10)), Int32(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int32)
+            )),
+            Some(Ordering::Less)
+        );
+
+        // For different data type, `partial_cmp` returns None.
+        assert_eq!(
+            List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int64(Some(1)), Int64(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int64)
+            )
+            .partial_cmp(&List(
+                Some(Box::new(vec![Int32(Some(1)), Int32(Some(5))])),
+                Box::new(DataType::Int32)
+            )),
+            None
+        );
+    }
 }