routinely

American  

[roo-teen-lee] / ruˈtin li /

adverb

1. regularly or habitually; as a matter of course.

   As a person raised and living in the South, I (and others around me) routinely say "please" when ordering in restaurants.

   Storm drains should be routinely cleaned and maintained to stay functional.

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Other Word Forms

• unroutinely
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of routinely

routine ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you do something routinely, you do it often and regularly. Many people routinely brush their teeth before they go to bed and again when they wake up in the morning. Something that's become a habit or an often repeated series of actions is done routinely. Your actual daily routine is one example of this — you might routinely eat cereal for breakfast, or routinely feed your cat at 5:00, for example. You can also say that a movie critic who always seems to find some fault with a film routinely trashes all your favorite movies. The French root is routine, "usual course of action," from route, "way or path."

Example Sentences

She routinely refers to herself as a technologist.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

She appears warm to jurors, routinely thanking them for their public service and for paying such close attention during the proceedings.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

This playfully theatrical work routinely breaks the fourth wall to raise questions about the ethics of the dramatic project underway.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

The EPA offices routinely relied on them to set the amount of a particular chemical that industrial facilities are allowed to emit.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

Valleys, lakes, gaps, creeks, and other important, possibly vital, topographical features are routinely left unnamed.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• commonly
• consistently
• customarily
• frequently
• generally
• habitually
• normally
• occasionally
• often
• ordinarily
• regularly
• sometimes
• typically