ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Ordinary

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈɔːdɪnəɹi/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Ordinary is a noun meaning A person with authority; authority, ordinance.

Meaning

A person with authority; authority, ordinance.

More Meanings

  1. Something ordinary or regular.
  2. A book setting out ordinary or regular conduct.
  3. (law, of a judge) Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases.
  4. Being part of the natural order of things; normal, customary, routine.
  5. Having no special characteristics or function; everyday, common, mundane; often deprecatory.
  6. (Australia, New Zealand, colloquial, informal) Bad or undesirable.

Example Sentences

He looked so ordinary, I never thought he'd be capable of murder.
On an ordinary day I wake up at nine o'clock, work for six hours, and then go to the gym.
I live a very ordinary life most of the time, but every year I spend a week in Antarctica.
Method is not leſs requiſite in ordinary converſation than in writing, provided a man would talk to make himſelf underſtood.

Word Forms

Synonyms for ordinary

Depending on context, synonyms include commonplace, plain, usual, average, medial, basic.

Antonyms for ordinary

Common opposites include extraordinary, special.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include common, mundane, routine, workaday, everyday, passable.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.