ordinarily

adverb

Synonyms of ordinarilynext
: in an ordinary manner or to an ordinary extent: such as
a
: in the ordinary course of events : usually
She was ordinarily very busy in the morning.
the jobs ordinarily handled by junior staff members
… cortisol, a hormone which ordinarily comes into play in situations of bodily stress …Maggie Scarf
Ordinarily, the immune system of any mammal will work to fight off a fungal parasite.David Quammen
b
: to the usual extent : moderately
It must suffice for him to be ordinarily honest according to the ordinary honesty of the world's ways …Anthony Trollope
c
: in a commonplace or inferior way : without distinction
A friend of mine … has two apartments on the 3rd floor, very ordinarily furnished …Walt Whitman

Examples of ordinarily in a Sentence

ordinarily, I get off work at five, but this week I'm working late to meet a project deadline
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Roughly 71% of Jewish voters supported Kamala Harris in 2024 — even as rising affluence would ordinarily predict a drift rightward. Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 Hotels would ordinarily capture much of the income generated by scarce lodging. Tim Komarek, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026 Melon vines ordinarily consume valuable tunnel space, so the Alouette Fields team is training them vertically. Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Eastbound ordinarily performs indoors at the Milford Arts Center. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ordinarily

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ordinarily was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“Ordinarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinarily. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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