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
Qatar, which ordinarily supports the mullahs’ interests, has also been targeted.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Crude oil prices have surged since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is flanked by Iran and is ordinarily the conduit for one-fifth of the world’s oil output.
—Luciana Lopez, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Many find him over the top (much as people once found Nicholson in The Shining), and such an exaggerated and cartoonish turn would ordinarily be a problem in a film where the performances are otherwise in a realistic register.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Reopening the strait, which ordinarily handles some 20% of daily global oil shipments, is widely viewed as essential to bringing down the soaring energy prices caused by the Iran war.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
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Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Crude oil prices have surged since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is flanked by Iran and is ordinarily the conduit for one-fifth of the world’s oil output.
—Luciana Lopez, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Many find him over the top (much as people once found Nicholson in The Shining), and such an exaggerated and cartoonish turn would ordinarily be a problem in a film where the performances are otherwise in a realistic register.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Reopening the strait, which ordinarily handles some 20% of daily global oil shipments, is widely viewed as essential to bringing down the soaring energy prices caused by the Iran war.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordinarily
Cite this Entry
“Ordinarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinarily. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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