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
Air travelers across the country have been suck in longer-than-usual lines in recent weeks. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026 The Pioneers grabbed the momentum quickly, including first-period goals by usual suspects Lorenz and Boston Buckberger, plus a puck that deflected off Caswell and found its way into the net. Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 22 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
  • In these environments, humanoid robots are expected to perform repetitive or physically demanding tasks that are difficult to automate using conventional industrial robots.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Unlike conventional computers, which store information as 0s and 1s, quantum computers use qubits, fundamental units of information that can exist in multiple states simultaneously, enabling them to perform calculations that would take conventional computers millions of years to complete.
    Etiido Uko March 23, New Atlas, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • James turned forty-one at the end of that month, an age at which many people start to notice the normal degeneration of their tendons and joints.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The start of the day seemed very normal to me.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Now, the demand is only expected to increase as data centers become increasingly ubiquitous in society.
    Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
    Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 18 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
  • Republicans are instead taking over the floor with their own speeches, proceeding under regular order but operating outside the normal time limits that are customary when debating legislation.
    DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
  • As is customary for the deaths of first responders, a gigantic American flag flapped from a crane outside the morgue.
    Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In early 2019 and in late 2025, two federal government shutdowns ended shortly after travel disruptions escalated following higher-than-typical absences of air traffic controllers.
    Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
  • The education budget in a typical year is about a third of the city’s total financial plan, which has historically failed to account for actual spending.
    Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • There’s a familiar rhetorical pattern to retirement announcements by most members of Congress.
    David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Veo would take over that month, offering the familiar standing scooters now used, along with seated scooters, two-person scooters, cargo bikes and trikes.
    Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The tide, however, has turned around since 2024 after former ECB President Mario Draghi’s report for the European Commission, which argued that Europe’s economy is being held back by outdated competition rules.
    Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
  • But the dispute is ultimately about more than one primary, one Senate rule, or one piece of legislation.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Usual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usual. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.

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