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

• 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

This opens new offensive opportunities, most notably linking attacks that aren't ordinarily linkable. —Jeffrey L. Wilson, PC Magazine, 1 Aug. 2025

Even for the ordinarily unflappable Mott, that was admittedly a bit too much of a challenge to arrange for oneself. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025

As to residence interiors and furniture, Civil Code Section 4780 only addresses termite damage to common area and so the HOA is not ordinarily responsible for damage to the unit interiors or contents. —Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 25 July 2025

Despite Gruters’ independent views, having Trump’s backing would ordinarily seal his victory. —Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 July 2025

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