ordinary

Ordinary means usual, normal, or of no special quality.

Sometimes, the word is used in a negative way to mean somewhat inferior, below average, or just plain—in much the same way as the word mediocre.

Describing something as ordinary usually means that it’s very basic or commonplace—there’s nothing special or unusual about it. An ordinary day is one in which nothing unexpected happens.

You could describe a person as ordinary to mean that they’re normal, as in People treat me like a celebrity, but I’m just an ordinary guy. But using ordinary to describe a person can also be an insult, as in I don’t know what you see in him—he’s so ordinary.  

Ordinary can also be used as a noun (especially in the ordinary) referring to the common or usual state or condition. This is how the word is used in the phrase out of the ordinary, which means unusual, uncommon, or exceptional.

Example: He was so ordinary it was almost suspicious—no one’s that normal!

The first records of the word ordinary come from the 1200s. It comes from the Latin ordinārius, meaning “regular” or “of the usual order.”

Ordinary things are regular—they exist in the usual order of things. The adverb form ordinarily means “usually” or “in an ordinary manner.”

Describing something as extraordinary doesn’t mean it’s “extra ordinary” or “extra normal” but instead means it’s “beyond ordinary”—it’s unusual, exceptional, or out of the ordinary.

What are some other forms of ordinary?

• ordinarily (adverb)
• ordinariness (noun)

What are some synonyms for ordinary?

• normal
• regular
• common
• average
• customary
• familiar
• everyday
• unexceptional
• plain
• undistinguished
• generic
• mediocre

What are some words that share a root or word element with ordinary? 

• out of the ordinary
• extraordinary
• order

What are some words that often get used in discussing ordinary?

• person
• day
• circumstances
• way

Ordinary is commonly used to mean “normal” or “regular,” but it can also be used in a negative way to mean “inferior” or “not at all special.”

In ordinary circumstances, ammonium nitrate is fertilizer. But when placed under stress of heat and pressure, it acts like a bomb. https://t.co/JHXlGvNBDZ

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 6, 2020

Even though Justin Long is fun to watch, and the third act is good, The Wave ends up being a little too ordinary https://t.co/zw24LOo2NO pic.twitter.com/wBMCi3Tzxc

— io9 (@io9) September 26, 2019

I only remember my dad watching us once. My mom went to an out of town funeral. I was seven and he made Campbell’s chicken noodle soup and oranges. It was 57 years ago and is still such a great memory. So fun and so out of the ordinary (I didn’t know that he could cook).

— Debbie Galant (@debgal55) September 15, 2020

Which of the following words would NOT be used to describe something that’s considered ordinary?

A. fantastic
B. unremarkable
C. dull
D. typical