usual
Americanadjective
-
habitual or customary.
her usual skill.
- Synonyms:
- accustomed
-
commonly met with or observed in experience; ordinary.
the usual January weather.
- Synonyms:
- regular, familiar, prevalent, prevailing, general
-
commonplace; everyday.
He says the usual things.
- Synonyms:
- predictable
noun
-
usuals
plural
idioms
adjective
noun
-
ordinary or commonplace events (esp in the phrase out of the usual )
-
informal the habitual or usual drink, meal, etc
Synonym Usage
Usual, customary, habitual refer to a settled and constant practice. Usual indicates something that is to be expected by reason of previous experience, which shows it to occur more often than not: There were the usual crowds at the celebration. Something that is customary is in accordance with prevailing usage or individual practice: It is customary to finish up with a bonfire. That which is habitual has become settled or constant as the result of habit on the part of the individual: The merchants wore habitual smiles throughout the season.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of usual
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin ūsuālis, equivalent to Latin ūsu-, stem of ūsus “use” ( see use (noun)) + -ālis -al 1; compare Old French usuel
Explanation
If a customer at a restaurant orders their usual, it means they're ordering the same thing they always get — nothing new, unexpected, or out of the ordinary. How's this? The word usual describes things that happen regularly or follow a familiar pattern. If you take the same route to school every day, that’s your usual way there. Usual can also apply to habits. For example, if you check the mail at the same time every day, then you have a usual time for checking the mail. Anything that is typical, regularly occurring, or expected can be described as usual.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Global oil supplies have been restricted since the conflict in the Middle East effectively halted the usual flow of oil and refined products through the Strait of Hormuz for months.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
But nature has occasionally found ways around the usual rules.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
By the usual scoreboard, that is a win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
As for his reception, less welcoming than usual from the Atlanta faithful?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Your students will demonstrate their acumen and progress during the usual Friday Elocution class.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
The writer pointed to the standard empirical data points – consumer confidence, morale, the usuals – but eventually landed on the basic plausible theory that chasing down conspiracies is just plain fun.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2025
Expect the aforementioned usuals, along with snowy egrets wading under the willows, black-necked stilts scurrying along the banks and Canada geese floating nearby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2022
It is a Tuesday afternoon and I am sitting in the hairdressers, having both my usuals: a short back and sides and a mild attack of awkwardness.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 17, 2016
“You’re not going to get the usuals here,” says the chef.
From Washington Post
We get in the long line and get our usuals, a Caesar salad for her, a burger and milk shake for me, and a heaping plate of french fries for us to share.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
