usually
Americanadverb
adverb
Synonym Usage
See often.
Etymology
Origin of usually
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English; usual ( def. ) + -ly
Explanation
If you usually do something, that’s what you do on a normal day. Tonight you might be making a seven-course meal to celebrate your birthday, even though usually you just get take-out pizza. Usual comes from the word use, and implies "the most common use." A screwdriver usually drives screws into something, or takes them out. Unusually, you have strung your screwdriver on a chain and are wearing it as a necklace. You can also say usually to describe the normal state of things: "On New Year’s Eve, this usually quiet street erupts with noise."
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.
Danny Murphy: The underdogs who do well are usually based on a strong defence, like Morocco were last time.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
It’s usually used to suggest traders may be fooled by a relatively small retracement of a big market dive.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
For the poor teen, “choice” is usually the wrong word, because the teenagers who most need a summer job are the ones who can’t find one.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Bell: I catch usually about 10 minutes of whatever my wife has fallen asleep to.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
When I do yoga with Rue, I can usually clear my mind by playing nice, relaxing music in my head.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
