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
Maggie ScarfOrdinarily, the immune system of any mammal will work to fight off a fungal parasite.—David Quammen
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
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
Walt WhitmanExamples 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
Each state has its own laws in place around what kinds of records can be released, but individuals can ask a court to consider sealing records that would ordinarily be public.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Governors wouldn’t ordinarily file a court case contesting a president’s foreign policy.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025
In Britain, there is a strict tradition of informed medical consent where a patient can refuse medical treatment, and a doctor can’t ordinarily be forced to carry it out.
—David Mac Dougall, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
While having so many productions featuring drag would not ordinarily raise an eyebrow, this roster of shows comes after President Trump instituted a series of firings at the Kennedy Center and vowed to remake the venue's programming in his MAGA image.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 20 May 2025
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Governors wouldn’t ordinarily file a court case contesting a president’s foreign policy.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025
In Britain, there is a strict tradition of informed medical consent where a patient can refuse medical treatment, and a doctor can’t ordinarily be forced to carry it out.
—David Mac Dougall, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
While having so many productions featuring drag would not ordinarily raise an eyebrow, this roster of shows comes after President Trump instituted a series of firings at the Kennedy Center and vowed to remake the venue's programming in his MAGA image.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordinarily
Cite this Entry
“Ordinarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinarily. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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