ordinary
Other forms: ordinaries
Something ordinary is something that happens every day. Maybe you should skip your ordinary breakfast and try something new.
Although we often use the adjective ordinary to mean "ho-hum, nothing special," it actually comes from the Latin root for "rule." You could think of ordinary things as almost like rules in your life. As a noun it has other meanings. In heraldry (that's the art of the family shield), an ordinary is a conventional figure. A probate judge is called an ordinary, as is the clergyman who prepares prisoners for death.
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lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered
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not exceptional in any way especially in quality or ability or size or degree“ordinary everyday objects”“ordinary decency”“an ordinary day”synonyms:commonhaving no special distinction or quality; widely known or commonly encountered; average or ordinary or usualusualoccurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedurebanausic(formal) ordinary and not refinedcommonto be expected; standardcommonplacecompletely ordinary and unremarkableantonyms:extraordinarybeyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkableuncommonnot common or ordinarily encountered; unusually great in amount or remarkable in character or kindunusualnot usual or common or ordinaryincomparable, uncomparablesuch that comparison is impossible; unsuitable for comparison or lacking features that can be comparedimpressivemaking a strong or vivid impressionbonzerremarkable or wonderfulexceeding, exceptional, olympian, prodigious, surpassingfar beyond what is usual in magnitude or degreeextraordinaireextraordinary in a particular capacityfantastic, grand, howling, incredible, marvellous, marvelous, rattling, terrific, tremendous, wonderful, wondrousextraordinarily good or great ; used especially as intensifiersphenomenalexceedingly or unbelievably greatgreatremarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effectoneused informally as an intensifierpyrotechnicsuggestive of fireworkssomeremarkablespecialfor a special service or occasionwonderworkingperforming or able to perform wonders or miraclessuperiorof high or superior quality or performance
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the expected or commonplace condition or situation“not out of the ordinary”type of:conditiona mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing
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a judge of a probate court
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a clergyman appointed to prepare condemned prisoners for deathtype of:clergyman, man of the cloth, reverenda member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of a Christian church
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(heraldry) any of several conventional figures used on shieldstypes:type of:armorial bearing, bearing, charge, heraldic bearingheraldry consisting of a design or image depicted on a shield
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an early bicycle with a very large front wheel and small back wheelsynonyms: ordinary bicycle
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Vocabulary lists containing ordinary
As you read Margaret Peterson Haddix's "Fine?" learn this word list. Here are links to lists for texts in Grade 6's Collection 1: The Ravine, Fine?, Fears and Phobias, In the Spotlight
Learn these challenging spelling words for sixth-grade students.