Ordinary — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈȯr-də-ˌner-ē/ or·di·nary

Meaning & Definition of Ordinary

Ordinary (adjective)

  1. of a kind to be expected in the normal order of events, routine, usual
  2. of common quality, rank, or ability
  3. deficient in quality, poor, inferior

Ordinary (noun)

  1. the regular or customary condition or course of things —usually used in the phrase out of the ordinary
  2. a prelate exercising original jurisdiction over a specified territory or group
  3. a clergyman appointed formerly in England to attend condemned criminals

Ordinary (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

    "it was a perfectly ordinary and undistinguished shirt"

    similar: average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, par for the course
    related: regular, typical, unextraordinary, familiar, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, frequent, habitual, expected, predictable
    opposite: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual
    near: curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, irregular, untypical, rare, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional, unorthodox, freak, freakish, conspicuous, notable, novel, outstanding, prominent, salient, signal, striking, unexampled, unprecedented, singular, unique, unparalleled

  2. of average to below average quality

    "the pizza at that restaurant is just ordinary—it's nothing to write home about"

    similar: common, fair, indifferent, mediocre, medium, middling, passable, run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mine, second-class, second-rate, so-so
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, alright, decent, OK, reasonable, satisfactory, sufficient, sufficing, tolerable, moderate, modest, presentable, respectable, minimal, unexceptional, fine, good, nice
    near: A1, capital, choice, classic, distinguished, excellent, exceptional, exquisite, fabulous, fantastic, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous, matchless, maximum, nifty, number one, optimal, optimum, outstanding, par excellence, peerless, preeminent, prime, sensational, special, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supreme, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, unmatched, unparalleled, unsurpassed, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wanting

  3. often observed or encountered

    "an ordinary hairstyle for boys of that age"

    similar: common, common or garden (chiefly British), commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, quotidian, routine, ubiquitous, usual, a dime a dozen
    related: normal, regular, standard, de rigueur, mandatory, obligatory, general, universal, ceaseless, constant, continual, continuous, incessant, unceasing, endemic, popular, prevailing, prevalent, rampant, perennial, recurrent, repeated
    opposite: extraordinary, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual
    near: aberrant, abnormal, irregular, unnatural, intermittent, occasional, sporadic

Ordinary (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in rule, run

    similar: commonplace, rule, run, status quo, usual, golden mean, mean, median, middle, exemplar, representative, average, norm, normal, par, standard
    opposite: abnormality, anomaly, deviation, exception, rarity

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Ordinary

The most common words with a similar meaning to Ordinary:

Chiefly British: common or garden
average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, fair, indifferent, mediocre, medium, middling, passable, run-of-the-mine, second-class, second-rate, so-so, familiar, frequent, household, quotidian, ubiquitous, par for the course, a dime a dozen, rule, run, status quo, golden mean, mean, median, middle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Ordinary

Words with the opposite meaning of Ordinary:

abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, abnormality, anomaly, deviation, exception, rarity

Related Words for Ordinary

regular, typical, unextraordinary, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, habitual, expected, predictable, acceptable, adequate, all right, alright, decent, OK, reasonable, satisfactory, sufficient, sufficing, tolerable, moderate, modest

Near Antonyms of Ordinary

curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, irregular, untypical, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional

Word Forms of Ordinary

Inflections: ordinaries

Derived words: ordinariness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Ordinary

Middle English ordinarie, from Latin ordinarius, from ordin-, ordo order

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Ordinary

Words & Phrases Containing Ordinary

ordinary-language philosophy, Ordinary level, ordinary seaman, ordinary share, in the ordinary way, no ordinary, out of the ordinary

Frequently Asked Questions about Ordinary

What does "Ordinary" mean?

"Ordinary" means of a kind to be expected in the normal order of events, routine, usual. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of a kind to be expected in the normal order of events, routine, usual. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Ordinary"?

Other words for "Ordinary" include average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal and prosaic. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Ordinary" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Ordinary"?

There are 99 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Ordinary". Common alternatives include average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, prosaic, routine and run-of-the-mill.

What is the opposite of "Ordinary"?

Antonyms of "Ordinary" include abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual and infrequent. Near antonyms include curious, funny, peculiar and quaint.

How do you use "Ordinary" in a sentence?

Examples of "Ordinary" in a sentence: "it was a perfectly ordinary and undistinguished shirt"; "the pizza at that restaurant is just ordinary—it's nothing to write home about"; "an ordinary hairstyle for boys of that age".

Is "Ordinary" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Ordinary" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Ordinary" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Ordinary" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Ordinary"?

"Ordinary" is pronounced /ˈȯr-də-ˌner-ē/ and divided into syllables as or·di·nary.