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 of ordinarily

• usually
• normally
• typically

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

But the growth on that principal — the portion that would ordinarily be subject to income tax upon withdrawal from a traditional account — comes out completely free. —Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026

Campbell, who ordinarily would represent DiZoglio in court to compel the Legislature to comply, has refused to do so on the flimsy excuse that DiZoglio has not provided needed information. —Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026

In the escalating war in Iran, the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs would ordinarily be at the center of the geopolitical fray. —Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026

The waterway is ordinarily a conduit for around a fifth of global oil and LNG supply. —Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026

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