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
Maggie ScarfOrdinarily, the immune system of any mammal will work to fight off a fungal parasite.—David Quammen
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
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
Walt WhitmanExamples 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
The weather blew away any hope of the team arriving in NYC by early morning as planned, and several late-night texts revealed what might ordinarily be described as a white-knuckle drive, only nobody was holding the steering wheel.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
Watson, who ordinarily comes off the bench for Denver, was named Western Conference Player of the Week by the NBA on Monday.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
When he was finally called to the microphone, Rubio began what has become a familiar routine, offering Trump the kind of adulation that is ordinarily reserved for heroes.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The contract also reportedly contains a term stating that the school doesn’t have to enter him into the NCAA transfer portal; ordinarily, a school is obligated under NCAA rules to enter an athlete’s name once the athlete informs the school of their intent to transfer.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
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Byron Hurd, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
Watson, who ordinarily comes off the bench for Denver, was named Western Conference Player of the Week by the NBA on Monday.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
When he was finally called to the microphone, Rubio began what has become a familiar routine, offering Trump the kind of adulation that is ordinarily reserved for heroes.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The contract also reportedly contains a term stating that the school doesn’t have to enter him into the NCAA transfer portal; ordinarily, a school is obligated under NCAA rules to enter an athlete’s name once the athlete informs the school of their intent to transfer.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordinarily
Cite this Entry
“Ordinarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinarily. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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