ordinarily

adverb

or·​di·​nar·​i·​ly ˌȯr-də-ˈner-ə-lē How to pronounce ordinarily (audio)
: 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the weeks since Trigg's death, the Kiser family has pushed to conceal records that would ordinarily be public; Emilie Kiser filed a lawsuit to prevent the release of such records on May 27. Melina Khan, USA Today, 18 June 2025 Padilla ordinarily is a very polite guy, extraordinary civil — calm, soft-spoken, the opposite of an aggressive loudmouth. George Skelton, Mercury News, 18 June 2025 The iconic train station is in Beverly Shores, so ordinarily that would be where the district would be located. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025 As the unrest continued, U.S. President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to the city , federalizing part of California’s National Guard that would ordinarily be under the control of state governor Gavin Newsom — who lashed out at the White House’s response to the unrest. Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for ordinarily

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ordinarily was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“Ordinarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinarily. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

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