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

Cramer said that, ordinarily, a move of that magnitude would be enough to keep him on the sidelines. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 17 June 2026

Attorneys General do not ordinarily put their names on such filings, as Blanche had. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

The actor playing Sweeney, Matt Faucher, is not ordinarily an imposing figure. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2026

Snow said four Live Local skyscrapers of over 40 stories are now planned in Wynwood, where a special city zoning plan ordinarily caps building height at 12 stories. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 July 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