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
Maggie ScarfOrdinarily, the immune system of any mammal will work to fight off a fungal parasite.—David Quammen
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
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
Walt WhitmanExamples 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
Novack said that he’d been surprised at the news the school had launched a spring transfer pilot after Oct. 7, expecting that such a program would ordinarily take years to develop.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2025
Signing a talented 24-year-old winger with Champions League experience might have ordinarily been beyond Fulham’s budget, but Arsenal’s deadline-day deal to bring in long-time England international Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea pushed Nelson further down the pecking order at his position.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies issued over 220,000 tickets for the swearing-in ceremony, which ordinarily would take place outside the U.S. Capitol building.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 20 Jan. 2025
While ordinarily that judge’s ruling would only be temporary — a full panel of appellate judges is supposed to evaluate Mr. Trump’s claims in the coming weeks — the case against the president-elect is running out of time.
—Ben Protess, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordinarily
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2025
Signing a talented 24-year-old winger with Champions League experience might have ordinarily been beyond Fulham’s budget, but Arsenal’s deadline-day deal to bring in long-time England international Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea pushed Nelson further down the pecking order at his position.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies issued over 220,000 tickets for the swearing-in ceremony, which ordinarily would take place outside the U.S. Capitol building.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 20 Jan. 2025
While ordinarily that judge’s ruling would only be temporary — a full panel of appellate judges is supposed to evaluate Mr. Trump’s claims in the coming weeks — the case against the president-elect is running out of time.
—Ben Protess, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordinarily
Cite this Entry
“Ordinarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinarily. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share