diff --git a/src/algebra/order/field.lean b/src/algebra/order/field.lean
index b08aa87da169c..52f79b68efbec 100644
--- a/src/algebra/order/field.lean
+++ b/src/algebra/order/field.lean
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2014 Robert Lewis. All rights reserved.
 Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
 Authors: Robert Lewis, Leonardo de Moura, Mario Carneiro, Floris van Doorn
 -/
-import algebra.field.basic
-import algebra.group_power.lemmas
-import algebra.group_power.order
-import algebra.order.ring
-import order.bounds
-import tactic.monotonicity.basic
+import algebra.order.field_defs
 
 /-!
 # Linear ordered (semi)fields
@@ -28,18 +23,6 @@ set_option old_structure_cmd true
 
 variables {α β : Type*}
 
-/-- A linear ordered semifield is a field with a linear order respecting the operations. -/
-@[protect_proj] class linear_ordered_semifield (α : Type*)
-  extends linear_ordered_semiring α, semifield α
-
-/-- A linear ordered field is a field with a linear order respecting the operations. -/
-@[protect_proj] class linear_ordered_field (α : Type*) extends linear_ordered_comm_ring α, field α
-
-@[priority 100] -- See note [lower instance priority]
-instance linear_ordered_field.to_linear_ordered_semifield [linear_ordered_field α] :
-  linear_ordered_semifield α :=
-{ ..linear_ordered_ring.to_linear_ordered_semiring, ..‹linear_ordered_field α› }
-
 namespace function
 
 /-- Pullback a `linear_ordered_semifield` under an injective map. -/
diff --git a/src/algebra/order/field_defs.lean b/src/algebra/order/field_defs.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a345e440e108c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/algebra/order/field_defs.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/-
+Copyright (c) 2014 Robert Lewis. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+Authors: Robert Lewis, Leonardo de Moura, Mario Carneiro, Floris van Doorn
+-/
+import algebra.field.basic
+import algebra.group_power.lemmas
+import algebra.group_power.order
+import algebra.order.ring
+import order.bounds
+import tactic.monotonicity.basic
+
+/-!
+# Linear ordered (semi)fields
+
+A linear ordered (semi)field is a (semi)field equipped with a linear order such that
+* addition respects the order: `a ≤ b → c + a ≤ c + b`;
+* multiplication of positives is positive: `0 < a → 0 < b → 0 < a * b`;
+* `0 < 1`.
+
+## Main Definitions
+
+* `linear_ordered_semifield`: Typeclass for linear order semifields.
+* `linear_ordered_field`: Typeclass for linear ordered fields.
+
+## Implementation details
+
+For olean caching reasons, this file is separate to the main file, algebra.order.field.
+The lemmata are instead located there.
+
+-/
+
+set_option old_structure_cmd true
+
+/-- A linear ordered semifield is a field with a linear order respecting the operations. -/
+@[protect_proj] class linear_ordered_semifield (α : Type*)
+  extends linear_ordered_semiring α, semifield α
+
+/-- A linear ordered field is a field with a linear order respecting the operations. -/
+@[protect_proj] class linear_ordered_field (α : Type*) extends linear_ordered_comm_ring α, field α
+
+@[priority 100] -- See note [lower instance priority]
+instance linear_ordered_field.to_linear_ordered_semifield {α} [linear_ordered_field α] :
+  linear_ordered_semifield α :=
+{ ..linear_ordered_ring.to_linear_ordered_semiring, ..‹linear_ordered_field α› }