Definition of usualnext
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usual

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word usual distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of usual are accustomed, customary, habitual, and wonted. While all these words mean "familiar through frequent or regular repetition," usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.

my usual order for lunch

How is accustomed related to other words for usual?

Accustomed is less emphatic than wonted or habitual in suggesting fixed habit or invariable custom.

accepted the compliment with her accustomed modesty

In what contexts can customary take the place of usual?

The words customary and usual are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, customary applies to what accords with the practices, conventions, or usages of an individual or community.

the customary waiting period before the application is approved

When could habitual be used to replace usual?

Although the words habitual and usual have much in common, habitual suggests a practice settled or established by much repetition.

a habitual morning routine

When is wonted a more appropriate choice than usual?

The words wonted and usual can be used in similar contexts, but wonted stresses habituation but usually applies to what is favored, sought, or purposefully cultivated.

his wonted determination

How is the word usual distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of usual are accustomed, customary, habitual, and wonted. While all these words mean "familiar through frequent or regular repetition," usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.

my usual order for lunch

How is accustomed related to other words for usual?

Accustomed is less emphatic than wonted or habitual in suggesting fixed habit or invariable custom.

accepted the compliment with her accustomed modesty

In what contexts can customary take the place of usual?

The words customary and usual are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, customary applies to what accords with the practices, conventions, or usages of an individual or community.

the customary waiting period before the application is approved

When could habitual be used to replace usual?

Although the words habitual and usual have much in common, habitual suggests a practice settled or established by much repetition.

a habitual morning routine

When is wonted a more appropriate choice than usual?

The words wonted and usual can be used in similar contexts, but wonted stresses habituation but usually applies to what is favored, sought, or purposefully cultivated.

his wonted determination

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of usual
Adjective
In fact, higher-than-usual temperatures prompted organizers to announce runners need to only complete 18 miles of the 26-mile, 385-yard-course to receive a finisher’s medal. Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026 Mow the lawn to a lower height than usual, being sure to bag the grass clippings and rake up any remaining debris that can keep the seeds from coming into contact with the soil. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
Ebonē Colbert ordered her usual on her weekly trip to Wendy's with her son: a kid’s meal with a plain cheeseburger for him and a Dave’s Single, a burger topped with lettuce and tomato, for herself. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 On the first day back, Evans ordered his usual: a single cheeseburger, fries and a Coke. Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022 See All Example Sentences for usual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usual
Adjective
  • The key innovation in this motor lies in the use of amorphous steel, a material that differs from conventional electrical steels commonly used in motor cores.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Our goal is also always to bring together established and emerging voices, challenging the conventional formats.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The agency said Tuesday that normal operations continue at the camp.
    Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Most of the shifts and deformations gradually returned to normal by six months after return to Earth.
    Rachael Seidler, Space.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Viewed from the street, the house actually is pretty unremarkable — a mid-size, split-level, midcentury ranch house, built in a style that became pretty ubiquitous in the California suburbs in the post-World War II era.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Gambling is ubiquitous in Illinois, and it is projected to expand dramatically, especially among the vulnerable young.
    Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Like his perceptive doc about Joy Division, Everybody Digs Bill Evans is about the ordinary that feeds the extraordinary and leaves us to figure out the rest for ourselves.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
  • At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Saturday’s wind forecast for Camas Prairie, Idaho.
    Ruby Mellen, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Another Arsenal goal kick and Raya, after a customary bit of stud cleaning, drills the ball long.
    Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The film is faithful to the franchise’s customary angst, with riotous needle drops (and an obligatory new Nick Cave track) courtesy of Antony Genn and Martin Slattery.
    Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • While most missing items are typical things that people travel with like cellphones, backpacks and glasses, Diaz said there have been a number of unique items turned in, including a prosthetic leg, musical instruments, 55-inch-screen TVs and large generators.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Concerns have focused in particular on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran's coast that a fifth of the world's oil sails through on a typical day.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • There just was something very familiar.
    Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • From the steamy streets of Carnival in the late 1970s to the 18th century Arctic tundra and an eerily familiar, fictionalized version of present-day America, this year’s nominees span decades, genres, continents and cultures.
    Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • On a call from Mexico on Thursday with reporters, Estrada Juarez, 42, said DACA was supposed to protect people like her who work hard and follow the rules.
    Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • For details on other rules, like how many and what kinds of fish anglers can bring home, or where and how to get needed licenses and permits, visit the Unified Government’s Fishing and Boating website.
    Sofi Zeman March 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Usual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usual. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

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