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 of ordinarily

• usually
• normally
• typically

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

Jimmy Kimmel and Disney‘s ABC have entered into negotiations about keeping the host in late-night after the new TV season, a process that might ordinarily be the most normal of business practices, but in the current climate is exceedingly fraught. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

This difference in travel time can magnify a background source, and it has been used to great effect to observe distant and ancient galaxies ordinarily too faint to be seen. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Purchasers who register the jacket receive three years of complimentary repairs for functional damage that would not ordinarily fall under Arc’teryx’s standard product coverage. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026

Litigation accomplished some of the work ordinarily associated with regulation. — Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ordinarily

• arbitrarily
• customarily
• militarily
• momentarily
• necessarily
• secondarily
• temporarily
• voluntarily
• airily
• caroli
• merrily
• verily