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

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
Due to the change in course since 2024, the race ran at 1 ¼ miles instead of its usual mile-and-a-half. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026 Your clothing may get a longer soak and spin time than usual, but this setting doesn't use heavy-duty agitation. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 June 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
  • Unmoored from the family unit, and inflated by success and ambition, she is left to roam the rainy hills like a beast that has exiled itself from conventional society.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
  • That store, in a mixed use development on South Coast Highway 101, faced lagging sales and was one of nine to close nationwide as the chain — months shy of its acquisition by Amazon — faced new competition from Walmart and other conventional grocers.
    Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • Jabbing pain and constant malaise followed him for years, but regular blood tests always came back normal — until one day a specialist thought to ask something new.
    Rachel Zimmerman, Washington Post, 6 June 2026
  • Although resuming his normal testosterone dosage shortly after the procedure, Kenny’s menstrual cycle started to return.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
Adjective
  • In the final weeks of the campaign, Pratt became ubiquitous in the national media.
    National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • This type of signage became so ubiquitous and so grotesquely huge across the city as businesses advertised and competed for visual attention that they were forcefully phased out by the government in the 2010s and replaced by Korean letters tastefully cut out to be lit from within instead.
    Anton Hur, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • Williams’ gift for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary was inspired by his interactions with his patients.
    René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
  • 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
Adjective
  • The joyride ended with a customary burnout, as the rising star closed his big day in a cloud of smoke.
    Time, Time, 9 June 2026
  • In a region where bringing your new neighbors a casserole is customary, micro-bakeries feel more like an extension of Southern hospitality.
    Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 7 June 2026
Adjective
  • Once the Islander opened the door, in typical Love Island USA fashion, they were prompted to kiss the other islanders with common interests.
    Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 9 June 2026
  • In the Veritasium video, Humphreys speculated that the Russians may have been testing the satellites’ GPS interference capabilities only briefly on a neighboring frequency adjacent to the typical GPS band.
    Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • She is expected to appear Monday through Wednesday of next week, according to two people familiar with the matter.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 11 June 2026
  • The research is clear that a familiar, gentle fragrance can slow breathing, soften stress and turn a room into a memory.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • According to Academy rules, the number of nominees in each category is determined by the volume of submissions, with the field expanding to a sixth lead or supporting nominee only once entries cross the 80-submission threshold.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 June 2026
  • At first glance, FIFA’s new rule may appear as basic player safety.
    Dilan Gomih, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Usual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usual. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.

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