Meaning of ordinary in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Classifying Adjective
    1. Definitions
  3. Noun
    1. Definitions
  4. Qualitative Adjective
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈɔrdnˌɛri/

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    UK accent

  1. Classifying Adjective

    ordinary

    Definitions

    1. lacking special distinction, rank, or status

    Examples

    • « commonly encountered »
    • « average people »
    • « the ordinary (or common) man in the street »

    Synonyms

  2. Noun

    ordinary

    Definitions

    1. a judge of a probate court
  3. 2. the expected or commonplace condition or situation

    Examples

    • « not out of the ordinary »
  4. 3. a clergyman appointed to prepare condemned prisoners for death
  5. 4. an early bicycle with a very large front wheel and small back wheel
  6. 5. (heraldry) any of several conventional figures used on shields

  7. Qualitative Adjective

    ordinary

    Etymology

    late Middle English: the noun partly via Old French; the adjective from Latin ordinarius‘orderly’ (reinforced by French ordinaire), from ordo, ordin-‘order’

    Definitions

    1. not exceptional in any way especially in quality or ability or size or degree

    Examples

    • « ordinary everyday objects »
    • « ordinary decency »
    • « an ordinary day »
    • « an ordinary wine »

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

Famous quotes

  • « One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. »
    Elbert Hubbard
  • « The ordinary American - as far as I can tell - knows so much less than he did fifty years ago and has such poor work habits compared with fifty years ago that the average multiplicand of knowledge/capabilities is a much smaller number than it was in 1961. »
    Ben Stein
  • « If Warren Buffett made his money from ordinary income rather than capital gains, his tax rate would be a lot higher than his secretary's. In fact a very small percentage of people in this country pay a big chunk of the taxes. »
    Michael Bloomberg
  • « I've been & am absurdly over-estimated. There are no supermen & I'm quite ordinary, & will say so whatever the artistic results. In that point I'm one of the few people who tell the truth about myself. »
    T. E. Lawrence
  • « You would be amazed what the ordinary guy knows. »
    Matt Drudge

See also

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