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

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

Synonyms

• commonly
• generally
• natch [slang]
• naturally
• normally
• typically
• usually

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

Networks ordinarily like to be first with pivotal projections. —Brian Stelter, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024

Long-term disability, which ordinarily kicks in after three months to six months, typically replaces 40% to 60% of your income. —Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024

Hampton has refunded $85,000 in trip reservations during what’s usually the busy final month of the rafting season — when the region is decked out in autumn foliage that ordinarily draws legions of visitors. —Alexandra Byrne, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024

Stephanie Shonekan is someone who ordinarily might be eyeing a top spot. —Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above