Usual — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈyü-zhə-wəl/ usu·al

Meaning & Definition of Usual

Usual (adjective)

  1. accordant with usage, custom, or habit, normal
  2. commonly or ordinarily used
  3. found in ordinary practice or in the ordinary course of events, ordinary

Usual (noun)

  1. something usual

Usual (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. accepted, used, or practiced by most people

    "that's not the usual method, but it works"

    similar: conventional, current, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent, standard, stock
    related: average, common, everyday, normal, ordinary, regular, routine, epidemic, ubiquitous, universal, widespread, accustomed, wonted, fashionable, in, modish, stylish
    opposite: nonstandard, unconventional, unpopular, unusual
    near: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, uncommon

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

    "the characters in this novel are drawn with greater depth than is usual for a work of science fiction"

    similar: average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, 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

  3. often observed or encountered

    "the usual reaction to the sight of the falls is one of absolute awe"

    similar: common, common or garden (chiefly British), commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, ordinary, quotidian, routine, ubiquitous, 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

Usual (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in rule, run

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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Usual

The most common words with a similar meaning to Usual:

Chiefly British: common or garden
conventional, current, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent, standard, stock, average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, workaday, familiar, frequent, household, quotidian, ubiquitous, par for the course, a dime a dozen, rule, run, status quo, golden mean, mean, median, middle, exemplar, representative

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Usual

Words with the opposite meaning of Usual:

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

Related Words for Usual

regular, epidemic, universal, widespread, accustomed, wonted, fashionable, in, modish, stylish, typical, unextraordinary, homely, plain, plain-Jane, vulgar, natural, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, habitual, expected, predictable, de rigueur, mandatory, obligatory, general, ceaseless, constant, continual

Near Antonyms of Usual

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, unorthodox

Word Forms of Usual

Derived words: usualness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Usual

Middle English, from Anglo-French usuel, from Late Latin usualis, from Latin usus use

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Usual

Words & Phrases Containing Usual

as per usual, as usual, be one's usual self, business as usual, same as usual, the usual, the usual suspects, average/normal/general/usual run of

Frequently Asked Questions about Usual

What does "Usual" mean?

"Usual" means accordant with usage, custom, or habit, normal. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: accordant with usage, custom, or habit, normal. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Usual"?

Other words for "Usual" include conventional, current, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent and standard. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Usual" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Usual"?

There are 81 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Usual". Common alternatives include conventional, current, customary, going, popular, prevailing, prevalent, standard, stock and average.

What is the opposite of "Usual"?

Antonyms of "Usual" include nonstandard, unconventional, unpopular, unusual, abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary and odd. Near antonyms include curious, funny, peculiar and quaint.

How do you use "Usual" in a sentence?

Examples of "Usual" in a sentence: "that's not the usual method, but it works"; "the characters in this novel are drawn with greater depth than is usual for a work of science fiction"; "the usual reaction to the sight of the falls is one of absolute awe".

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

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

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

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

How do you pronounce "Usual"?

"Usual" is pronounced /ˈyü-zhə-wəl/ and divided into syllables as usu·al.