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 ubiquitous
often observed or encountered
an ordinary hairstyle for boys of that age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in usual
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ordinary
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
Alina Hartounian, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
The proof-of-concept study, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, involved taking the nucleus, the part of the cell that contains most of its genetic information, from an ordinary human skin cell and transplanting it into a donor egg stripped of its own nucleus.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordinary
Adjective
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
Noun
Is that chilling to most ordinary people?
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
The proof-of-concept study, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, involved taking the nucleus, the part of the cell that contains most of its genetic information, from an ordinary human skin cell and transplanting it into a donor egg stripped of its own nucleus.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordinary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordinary
Adjective
-
Newsweek contacted Johnson by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Vitamins and some foods can change the shade, and your first pee of the morning will almost always be darker — that’s normal.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Artists and songwriters could earn a decent living with an album that sold even modestly.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Fallah was productive on a decent Oregon State team, and Coleman was the leading scorer on a last-place Big East team.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In her usual soft-spoken British accent, she was known for balancing the grim realities of the climate crisis with a sincere message of hope for the future.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Messi, who was denied by the post in the first half but who struggled to make his usual impact, walked off the field and straight to the locker room at the final whistle without stopping for any of the usual handshakes or greetings.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ion gauges are relatively cheap (under US $1,000) and commonplace.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The fact of death: what a commonplace, what a banal place to land.—
Garth Greenwell,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Residents here have above average educational backgrounds and the higher incomes that accompany them.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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While the average cruise length is around seven days, short sailings can pack an entire vacation’s worth of fun into a mid-week getaway or long weekend.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Whisk together milk, pudding mix, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Small corporate landlords own three to nine properties; medium-size ones own 10 to 99; large owns 100 to 999 and mega corporations own more than 1,000.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Generation X was the first to cope without ubiquitous workplace pensions, relying instead on a new savings tool called the 401(k).—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Sitting at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the village is known for its year-round recreation and ubiquitous aspen trees, which make a stunning (albeit short) shift from fluttering green to bright yellow and orange with hints of red.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ezra is a doula who can see ghosts, and Jonathan is a widower mourning his late husband, Ben, who Ezra can inexplicably both see and hear, even though that definitely breaks ghost rules.—
Audrey Goldberg Ruoff,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
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One video for the song Turista, for instance, focused on Lares, the site of the 1868 Grito de Lares revolt against Spanish rule.—
Cat Sposato,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ordinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordinary. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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