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

The ordinarily strong driver did not have a good day off the tee. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025

Hayley Pines, another Forest Service staffer, ordinarily served as a mule packer and wilderness ranger in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Recreation Area, earning about twenty dollars an hour. —Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025

Every emotion feels like the opposite of what might ordinarily be expected. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025

The organization provides wraparound services in the first 90 days, including rent, food and transportation – services that are ordinarily funded by the federal government. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ordinarily

• arbitrarily
• customarily
• militarily
• momentarily
• necessarily
• secondarily
• temporarily
• voluntarily
• airily
• caroli
• merrily
• verily