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.
“I was saying, ‘These are my 12 album titles, give me some more,’ and of course in the end we never used any of them.”
From Salon • Jul. 5, 2026
His father, of course, would love to be in attendance for his son’s debut.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2026
Speaking with Usha Vance on "Storytime with the Second Lady," as America celebrated its 250th birthday, the billionaire property tycoon opened with his favorite topic -- real estate, of course.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
The downside, of course, is that you can’t simply tap into those funds whenever you want; you must apply for benefits before you can receive them.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 3, 2026
If he reads it, he’ll understand that of course I’m not using him for points on some list.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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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.