usually
Americanadverb
adverb
Synonym Usage
See often.
Etymology
Origin of usually
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English; usual ( def. ) + -ly
Explanation
If you usually do something, that’s what you do on a normal day. Tonight you might be making a seven-course meal to celebrate your birthday, even though usually you just get take-out pizza. Usual comes from the word use, and implies "the most common use." A screwdriver usually drives screws into something, or takes them out. Unusually, you have strung your screwdriver on a chain and are wearing it as a necklace. You can also say usually to describe the normal state of things: "On New Year’s Eve, this usually quiet street erupts with noise."
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 invitation to the chief justice is in keeping with tradition and for aspiring lawyers, the presence of the country's top judge at their convocation is usually seen as a matter of pride.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
He has let his research team fall from 18 to 12 people by attrition and only brought on one new postdoctoral researcher, down from the four he usually hires each year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
When one of his students hits the stage to try out their comedy material, Aidan Park is usually pacing back and forth in the back, hoping his students don’t forget a line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
People with bipolar disorder will usually have times where their mood is stable and they do not have any symptoms, the NHS said.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
While everyone else spent time on the lawn catching up with family, he was always off by himself, usually in the library.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
