1
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
it was a perfectly ordinary and undistinguished shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decent
of average to below average quality
the pizza at that restaurant is just ordinary—it's nothing to write home about
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in usual
often observed or encountered
an ordinary hairstyle for boys of that age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in commonplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ordinary
Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
While their deaths are often memorialized as a sacrifice to the cause of liberty and freedom, surviving records suggest that many of them — especially those who were drafted — were ordinary young people thrust into extraordinary circumstances.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 May 2025
Sam Reed, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2025
These pieces can transform one’s daily bathing ritual from an ordinary to a spa-like experience.
—Adam Mansuroglu, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ordinary
Adjective
The unstoppable spread of a malevolent fungal strain called cordyceps has ravaged the global population and turned ordinary human beings into zombies who survive only by feasting on the flesh of the uninfected, thereby plunging society into an unimaginable nightmare.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
While their deaths are often memorialized as a sacrifice to the cause of liberty and freedom, surviving records suggest that many of them — especially those who were drafted — were ordinary young people thrust into extraordinary circumstances.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 May 2025
Noun
The couple have often walked red carpets together, so it certainly wouldn’t be considered out of the ordinary for the 37-year-old to walk the Golden Globes red carpet alongside her beau as his plus-one.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2025
These pieces can transform one’s daily bathing ritual from an ordinary to a spa-like experience.
—Adam Mansuroglu, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ordinary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordinary
Adjective
-
In the months since Trump was reelected and returned to the White House, American doctors have shown skyrocketing interest in becoming licensed in Canada, where dozens more than normal have already been cleared to practice, according to Canadian licensing officials and recruiting businesses.—
Brett Kelman,
NPR,
29 May 2025
-
Most kids use pacifiers—and up to a certain point, that's totally normal.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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But the Tar Heel state has a decent amount of talent this year, and UNC does not appear to be in position to take advantage of it.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Reading these reports alongs with your own research can give you a decent idea of which cruise ships are doing the most to reduce their impact.—
Lea Lane,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang was more somber than usual on the AI juggernaut’s conference call following its blockbuster earnings, according to CNBC’s Kristina Partsinevelos , who has been analyzing all the action in the cult stock for the last 24 hours.—
John Melloy,
CNBC,
29 May 2025
-
Temperatures will remain cooler than usual, with highs reaching 69 degrees in the metro.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Luxury scented candles, like room sprays for that matter, have the power to elevate any moment: taking it from commonplace to utterly indulgent.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
26 Mar. 2025
-
The Grand Ole Opry House holds 4,400 people, but can’t accommodate standing-room tours, a commonplace in genres like EDM and hip-hop.—
Matthew Leimkuehler,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
On average, female participants took about 4.5 bites to finish their pizza slice, while men took just 2.1 bites. Number of chews.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
23 May 2025
-
How to build credit as an authorized user on a credit card What is the average credit score in the U.S.?—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Beyond smartphones, cameras using the Micro Four Thirds system and Fujifilm’s medium format cameras also shoot in a 3:4 aspect ratio.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
Macron warned that the world risks dividing into two blocs, with medium powers increasingly pressured to choose sides as the U.S.-China rivalry intensifies—threatening to unravel the post-World War II global order.—
Micah McCartney Asia security reporter,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Perhaps the most unlikely character to become ubiquitous in the world of Disney is Stitch, an alien who pretends to be a dog in 2002’s Lilo & Stitch.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Eventually – inevitably – a recession will occur, but the huge 2022-2024 inversion will not have predicted it by the traditional rules of interpretation.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
-
Older people were hit the hardest socially by COVID rules that limited or barred visits from family and friends.—
Joshua Zatulskis,
Hartford Courant,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordinary. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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