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

This is ordinarily a quiet time of year for most sailors. —Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 26 Dec. 2024

These are markets that wouldn’t ordinarily be associated with luxury retail. —Sharon Edelson, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

Daily sightings in the New York / New Jersey / Connecticut area — ordinarily just one or two — hit 37 last week, and more than 250 around the country. —Noah Shachtman, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024

Such reviews ordinarily occur once instances of a potential infraction come to light, Pentagon officials have said. —Doina Chiacu, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above