ordinarily
adverb
or·di·nar·i·ly
ˌȯr-də-ˈner-ə-lē 
: 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
Maggie ScarfOrdinarily, the immune system of any mammal will work to fight off a fungal parasite.—David Quammen
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
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
Walt WhitmanExamples 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
Not unlike April’s draft with Travis Hunter, the top of the ’26 defensive class starts at a position that doesn’t ordinarily receive top-five attention.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Prime Day originally began as a way for Amazon to boost sales during an ordinarily sleepy time and draw more subscribers into its membership program.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 July 2025
The great thing about Jamie Lloyd’s production of Evita is that folk who aren’t ordinarily bothered with stage arts have been galvanized by the phenomenal interest in this particular show.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 July 2025
His guilty plea ordinarily would have meant that no trial was held, but when prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, a separate trial must be held to determine if that ultimate sentence is appropriate.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025
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Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Prime Day originally began as a way for Amazon to boost sales during an ordinarily sleepy time and draw more subscribers into its membership program.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 July 2025
The great thing about Jamie Lloyd’s production of Evita is that folk who aren’t ordinarily bothered with stage arts have been galvanized by the phenomenal interest in this particular show.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 July 2025
His guilty plea ordinarily would have meant that no trial was held, but when prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, a separate trial must be held to determine if that ultimate sentence is appropriate.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordinarily
Cite this Entry
“Ordinarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinarily. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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