as in mundanity
the quality or state of being ordinary
He was a cheerful person who took pleasure even in the ordinariness of everyday life.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 ordinariness
Metcalf and Pullman are both wonderful in their shuffling ordinariness, reenacting long-obsolete parental dynamics with a kind of rueful, hopeful denial.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
This is a childhood that had all its ordinariness burned out of it by the linking of even seemingly trivial gestures (an offering of candy, a bath, a swim, the dust in a corner of a room) to an entire array of physical and mental agonies.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
The ordinariness of their relationship made the moment feel even more special.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
Robert’s ordinariness doesn’t change.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Nov. 2025
There is something about that ordinariness that is extraordinary.
—Jeff Conway, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
But Wonder Man turns Simon’s ordinariness into its secret weapon, delivering a dramedy that’s all the more charming for being so low-key.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
This is a childhood that had all its ordinariness burned out of it by the linking of even seemingly trivial gestures (an offering of candy, a bath, a swim, the dust in a corner of a room) to an entire array of physical and mental agonies.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
The ordinariness of their relationship made the moment feel even more special.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
Robert’s ordinariness doesn’t change.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Nov. 2025
There is something about that ordinariness that is extraordinary.
—Jeff Conway, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
But Wonder Man turns Simon’s ordinariness into its secret weapon, delivering a dramedy that’s all the more charming for being so low-key.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordinariness
Noun
-
The post garnered lots of attention, especially from people who noted the mundanity of the story.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
That insurance plays such a material role in shaping Simon’s dilemma is a lovely bit of mundanity.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Charles Wylie, the museum’s curator of photography, says the exhibit highlights the centrality of the Black experience in American history, from the tragedies to the mundaneness of family life.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ordinariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordinariness. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
