ordinarily

[ awr-dn-air-uh-lee, awr-dn-er-uh-lee ]

adverb

1. most of the time; generally; usually:

   Ordinarily he wakes at seven.

2. in an unexceptional manner or fashion; modestly:

   a wealthy child who was dressed ordinarily.

3. to the usual extent; reasonably:

   to expect someone to be ordinarily honest.

ordinarily

/ ˈɔːdəˌnɛrɪlɪ; ˈɔːdənrɪlɪ /

adverb

1. in ordinary, normal, or usual practice; usually; normally

Word History and Origins

Origin of ordinarily¹

First recorded in 1525–35; ordinary + -ly

Example Sentences

The woman on the other end of the phone was Nicola Nash, a forensic researcher from the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre in Gloucester, who ordinarily works to identify victims from the First and Second World Wars.

From BBC

“It’s allowed me to do things I wouldn’t ordinarily do,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Senior royals ordinarily attend a number of Remembrance events.

From BBC

Ordinarily, that would not be my favorite thing.

From Los Angeles Times

"It improves their attendance because they love doing these activities, and we get to see them smiling and happy and achieving something that they might not have ordinarily done," she added.

From BBC

Related Words

• commonly
• customarily
• generally
• normally
• regularly