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Showing results for ordinarily. Search instead for ordinarily depends.
Synonyms

ordinarily

American  
[awr-dn-air-uh-lee, awr-dn-er-uh-lee] / ˌɔr dnˈɛər ə li, ˈɔr dnˌɛr ə li /

adverb

  1. most of the time; generally; usually.

    Ordinarily he wakes at seven.

  2. in an unexceptional manner or fashion; modestly.

    a wealthy child who was dressed ordinarily.

  3. to the usual extent; reasonably.

    to expect someone to be ordinarily honest.
ordinarily British  
/ ˈɔːdəˌnɛrɪlɪ, ˈɔːdənrɪlɪ /

adverb

  1. in ordinary, normal, or usual practice; usually; normally

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ordinarily

First recorded in 1525–35; ordinary + -ly

Vocabulary lists containing ordinarily

List 4

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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 central bank had just rolled out plans to do things it would never ordinarily do: lending to midsize businesses, purchasing junk bonds and hoovering up Treasury securities at a pace it had never attempted.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

He said security arrangements on such visits were ordinarily very tight but they should be reviewed afresh "to make sure there are no loopholes at all".

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

After weeks of bombing and counter-strikes, focus has shifted to the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, which ordinarily carries around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

He said that performers who ordinarily would leap at the chance to play U.S. festivals are taking hard looks at the payoffs and risks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Boaz didn’t think they were ordinarily open this late, but when they reached the awning, they found the lights still on.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

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.