of course
Idioms-
In the customary or expected order, naturally, as in The new minister did not, of course, fire the church secretary . This usage, first recorded in 1548, employs course in the sense of “ordinary procedure.”
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Certainly, as in Of course I'll answer the phone , or Are you going to the meeting?—Of course . [Early 1800s] Also see matter of course .
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.
The Dodgers, of course, had the best record and the highest attendance.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Some Americans are being hit hard, of course, particularly middle- and lower-income Americans and anyone who needs to drive long distances for work.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
"It was a complete shock and, of course, really distressing, especially to hear it was whilst he was at work."
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
None of this, of course, was an improvement on the principles of the Declaration.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Mila came out to join us and got in the way, of course.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
