usual
[yoo-zhoo-uh l, yoozh-wuh l]
- habitual or customary: her usual skill.
- commonly met with or observed in experience; ordinary: the usual January weather.
- commonplace; everyday: He says the usual things.
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- something that is usual: He could expect only the usual.
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- as usual, in the customary or usual manner: As usual, he forgot my birthday.
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Origin of usual
Synonyms
See more synonyms for usual on Thesaurus.com1. accustomed. Usual, customary, habitual refer to a settled and constant practice. Usual indicates something that is to be expected by reason of previous experience, which shows it to occur more often than not: There were the usual crowds at the celebration. Something that is customary is in accordance with prevailing usage or individual practice: It is customary to finish up with a bonfire. That which is habitual has become settled or constant as the result of habit on the part of the individual: The merchants wore habitual smiles throughout the season. 2. general, prevailing, prevalent, familiar, regular. 3. expected, predictable.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for usual
Contemporary Examples
The judges who handle arraignments at criminal court in all five boroughs have a small fraction of their usual caseloads.
Larson, as usual, instills gravitas and agency in an otherwise underwritten character.
I know that one day in the near (ish) future, we will return to our usual hikes and bike rides.
But, under the hawkish eye of the media and through a heavily active social media presence, she carried on as usual.
The broader issue is also playing out without the usual toxicity.
Historical Examples
Anaxagoras retained his usual bland expression and meek dignity.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
On this day, however, Philothea's mind was less serene than usual.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
There was another debate over Spring, who had followed his master as usual.
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
"Count me in, please," said Blanche, in her usual vein of frankness.
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
As usual, balm was on his lips, and I found encouragement and support.
usual
- of the most normal, frequent, or regular type; customarythat's the usual sort of application to send
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- ordinary or commonplace events (esp in the phrase out of the usual)
- the usual informal the habitual or usual drink, meal, etc
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Word Origin
C14: from Late Latin ūsuālis ordinary, from Latin ūsus use
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for usual
adj.
late 14c., from Old French usuel (late 13c.), from Late Latin usualis "ordinary," from Latin usus "custom" (see use). The usual suspects is from a line delivered by Claude Rains (as a French police inspector) in "Casablanca" (1942).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with usual
usual
see as usual; business as usual.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.