ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ordinary

n.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈɔɹdəˌnɛɹi// UK //ˈɔːdɪnəɹi// or·di·nary Archaic General-service Informal

n. normal or usual, with nothing special or different about it. You use this to describe things that are common and not surprising.

n. possessing no special or distinctive features; normal or commonplace. Often used to describe things that lack status or exceptional quality.


SIMPLE

It was just an ordinary day at the office.

CONTEXTUAL

The detective noticed that the suspect was wearing ordinary clothes to avoid standing out in the crowd.

COMPLEX

While the exterior of the building looks quite ordinary, the interior features some of the most innovative architectural designs of the modern era.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Anglo-Norman ordenarie, ordenaire et al., Middle French ordinaire, and their source, Medieval Latin ordinarius, noun use of Latin ōrdinārius (“regular, orderly”), from ōrdō (“order”).

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies; can also follow a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.

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