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ordinary

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ordinary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ordinary are common, familiar, plain, popular, and vulgar. While all these words mean "generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual," ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day
a very ordinary sort of man

When would common be a good substitute for ordinary?

While in some cases nearly identical to ordinary, common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

a common error
lacked common honesty
common manners

When is it sensible to use familiar instead of ordinary?

Although the words familiar and ordinary have much in common, familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

Where would plain be a reasonable alternative to ordinary?

The words plain and ordinary can be used in similar contexts, but plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

In what contexts can popular take the place of ordinary?

While the synonyms popular and ordinary are close in meaning, 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

How do vulgar and popular relate to one another, in the sense of ordinary?

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

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

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 ordinary
Adjective
In ordinary times, the likes of Dawn would be dismissed as crackpots, but in pandemic limbo, with everyone bored and at a loose end, her weird suppositions start to get traction, sending everyone down internet rabbit holes. Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2025 This ceasefire represents hope for environmental cooperation, for regional stability, and most importantly, for the millions of ordinary citizens whose lives hang in the balance. Nadia Ahmad, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 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
  • To her credit, Sepideh is aware enough to own the surreal gulf between what to her is a normal life and what has become Fatma’s normal life.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
  • Republished on May 17 with additional advice and resources on defending against these dangerous messages, where normal detection is impossible.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Those who stuck around to watch the game saw a decent debut for the Hopkins native outshone by another former UConn star, Napheesa Collier, who scored 34 to equal the Lynx record for most points in a season opener, per ESPN.
    Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
  • Tellez is a decent hitter — sort of dangerous but also not dangerous enough to prevent him from being let go each of the past two offseasons.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Of all Recall’s risks, the capture of secure comms and documents outside of their usual enclave is top of the list.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • No doubt this has had an impact on his play in the second major of the season, where his driving has been far from his usual quality.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 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
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Salvia azurea Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Type: Dry to medium, well-draining, lean to average Soil pH: Adaptable (6.0-8.0) USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9 With azure blooms and long grey-green foliage, blue sage has a lovely, delicate appearance that belies its tough nature.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
  • This design makes for a medium mattress that’s great for all sleeping positions.
    Christopher Murray may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • This is story about untangling the mysteries as to why something so ubiquitous – and seemingly endless – could be on the cusp of disappearing entirely.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
  • Beyond the fact that using AI tools to write is generally frowned upon and considered to be unethical, AI writing has become so ubiquitous that using AI or modeling one’s work off of it is a surefire way to make your materials blend into a sea of other cookie-cutter essays.
    Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Ordinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordinary. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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