ordinary

1 of 2

adjective

or·​di·​nary ˈȯr-də-ˌner-ē 

1

: of a kind to be expected in the normal order of events : routine, usual

an ordinary day

2

a

: of common quality, rank, or ability

an ordinary teenager

b

: deficient in quality : poor, inferior

ordinary wine

3

: having or constituting immediate or original jurisdiction

also : belonging to such jurisdiction

ordinariness

ˈȯr-də-ˌner-ē-nəs 

noun

ordinary

2 of 2

noun

plural ordinaries

1

: the regular or customary condition or course of things

—usually used in the phrase out of the ordinary

We haven't done anything out of the ordinary.

2

a(1)

: a prelate exercising original jurisdiction over a specified territory or group

The ordinary of a diocese is a bishop.

(2)

: a clergyman appointed formerly in England to attend condemned criminals

b

: a judge of probate in some states of the U.S.

3

often capitalized : the parts of the Mass that do not vary from day to day

The "Our Father" is part of the ordinary of the Mass.

4

a

British : a meal served to all comers at a fixed price

b

chiefly British : a tavern or eating house serving regular meals

5

: a common heraldic charge (such as the bend) of simple form (see charge entry 2 sense 7a)

Synonyms

Adjective

• average
• common
• commonplace
• cut-and-dried
• cut-and-dry
• everyday
• garden-variety
• normal
• prosaic
• routine
• run-of-the-mill
• standard
• standard-issue
• unexceptional
• unremarkable
• usual
• workaday

Choose the Right Synonym for ordinary

common, ordinary, plain, familiar, popular, vulgar mean generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual.

common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence

a common error

lacked common honesty

and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

common manners

ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day

a very ordinary sort of man

plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Examples of ordinary in a Sentence

Adjective

They've had the ordinary problems associated with starting a new business.

My wife thought our guide was strange, but he seemed perfectly ordinary to me.

The meal was ordinary and uninspired.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Shutting down highways, meanwhile, has been an indispensable tactic in civil rights and racial justice organizing in the U.S. since the 1960s, a way for ordinary people to flex their economic muscle outside of the workplace. —Claire Ravenscroft, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023

During frequent video meetings with members before the strike, Mr. Fain has portrayed the negotiations as a broader struggle pitting ordinary workers against corporate titans. —Noam Scheiber, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023

Electric vehicles are much less complicated than ordinary cars. —The Editors, National Review, 18 Sep. 2023

Shuffle of Russian military chiefs preceded death of Wagner boss Prigozhin The apparent asset stripping at the country’s largest retail bank left some 20 million ordinary citizens at risk of losing their life’s savings. —David L. Stern, Washington Post, 17 Sep. 2023

Both rarities have transcended the ordinary with incredible precision and magnificent style. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2023

The goal, Mitnick said, is to get on the radar of Danaher’s shareholders, board members, employees, and pension fund investors — in addition to ordinary people. —Lizzy Lawrence and Ed Silverman, STAT, 14 Sep. 2023

Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Svetlana Alexievich (2013) This kaleidoscopic account of the fall of the Soviet Union consists entirely of stories told to the author by quote-unquote ordinary people. —The Week Staff, The Week, 2 Sep. 2023

The show follows the curiosity of Wilson, a New York City resident looking for advice on ordinary subjects such as improving your memory or watching a sports game. —Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English ordinarie, from Latin ordinarius, from ordin-, ordo order

Noun

Middle English ordinarie, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin ordinarius, from Latin ordinarius, adjective

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(1)

Phrases Containing ordinary

• no ordinary
• in the ordinary way
• in the usual/normal/ordinary course of business
• ordinary-language philosophy
• out of the ordinary
• normal/ordinary course of events
• ordinary share
• ordinary seaman

• no ordinary
• in the ordinary way
• in the usual/normal/ordinary course of business
• ordinary-language philosophy
• out of the ordinary
• normal/ordinary course of events
• ordinary share
• ordinary seaman

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Kids Definition

ordinary

1 of 2 noun

or·​di·​nary ˈȯrd-ᵊn-ˌer-ē 

plural ordinaries

1

: regular or usual condition or course of things

nothing out of the ordinary

2

a

British : a meal served to any person at a fixed price

b

chiefly British : a restaurant serving regular meals

ordinary

2 of 2 adjective

1

: to be expected : normal, usual

ordinary problems

2

: neither good nor bad : average

an ordinary person

ordinarily

ˌȯrd-ᵊn-ˈer-ə-lē

adverb

ordinariness

ˈȯrd-ᵊn-ˌer-ē-nəs

noun

Legal Definition

ordinary

adjective

or·​di·​nary

: of a kind to be expected from the average person or in the normal course of events

broadly : of a common kind or degree

an ordinary proceeding

compare extraordinary