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

Malen was Villa’s ninth signing since the end of last season — a significant influx that ordinarily would lead to a regeneration of the squad. —Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025

Proposals to cut federal programs ordinarily appear in the president’s budget, which OMB prepares for Congress every year. —Bridget C.e. Dooling, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025

Delegating to employees means to give them work that would ordinarily be on your plate—meaningful work that is in your portfolio. —Terina Allen, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

The filing noted that Mr. Trump had also asked New York’s highest court, its Court of Appeals, for an emergency stay, acknowledging that litigants must ordinarily seek relief from lower courts before turning to the Supreme Court. —Ben Protess, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above