ordinarily

adverb

or·​di·​nar·​i·​ly ˌȯr-də-ˈner-ə-lē 

: in an ordinary manner or to an ordinary extent: such as

a

: in the ordinary course of events : usually

She was ordinarily very busy in the morning.

the jobs ordinarily handled by junior staff members

… cortisol, a hormone which ordinarily comes into play in situations of bodily stress …

—Maggie Scarf

Ordinarily, the immune system of any mammal will work to fight off a fungal parasite.

—David Quammen

b

: to the usual extent : moderately

It must suffice for him to be ordinarily honest according to the ordinary honesty of the world's ways …

—Anthony Trollope

c

: in a commonplace or inferior way : without distinction

A friend of mine … has two apartments on the 3rd floor, very ordinarily furnished …

—Walt Whitman

Synonyms

• commonly
• generally
• natch [slang]
• naturally
• normally
• typically
• usually

Examples of ordinarily in a Sentence

ordinarily, I get off work at five, but this week I'm working late to meet a project deadline

Recent Examples on the Web

Since parliamentary elections held at the beginning of his second term in 2022, Macron has been ruling without an absolute majority in parliament, ordinarily unable to pass bills with his lawmakers alone. —Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 10 June 2024

All of the emotions ordinarily associated with one of soccer’s showpieces — hope, excitement, fear, wonder about how England will sabotage itself — have been overshadowed by something else, something closer to ennui. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 7 June 2024

Once the briefs are ready, they will be distributed to a panel of judges, who ordinarily spend months reviewing the case, conducting oral arguments, and writing an opinion. —Ian Millhiser, Vox, 5 June 2024

In 2024, the state has already experienced more than 90 tornadoes — more than double the number of twisters Oklahoma would ordinarily see at this point in the year. —Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 28 May 2024

Without a trainer on hand, McCauley taped it for swelling in the first five minutes, giving the immediate care an athletic trainer would ordinarily provide. —Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2024

Eurovision is ordinarily non-political, but geopolitics have come to the fore in recent times and this year’s event has become the most divisive in living memory. —Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 May 2024

Meetings ordinarily scheduled for every other month have been canceled since October. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024

While the case would ordinarily be strictly a local search and rescue police operation, the identity of the missing woman, Alice (Anna Torv), brings Melbourne detective Falk and his investigative partner Carmen (Jacqueline McKenzie, wasted in a nothing role) to the scene. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above