Added 6 October 2026
ordinary
/ˈɔːdɪnəɹi/ noun
In Latin: ordinarius, cotidianus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ordinary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A person with authority; authority, ordinance. A person having immediate jurisdiction in a given case of ecclesiastical law, such as the bishop within a diocese. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller} A courier; someone delivering mail or post. A judge with the authority to deal with cases himself or herself rather than by delegation. The chaplain of Newgate prison, who prepared condemned prisoners for death.
- A person having immediate jurisdiction in a given case of ecclesiastical law, such as the bishop within a diocese. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
- A courier; someone delivering mail or post.
adjective
- Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases.
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Being part of the natural order of things; normal, customary, routine.
On an ordinary day I wake up at nine o'clock, work for six hours, and then go to the gym.
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Having no special characteristics or function; everyday, common, mundane; often deprecatory.
I live a very ordinary life most of the time, but every year I spend a week in Antarctica.
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)