ordinaryor‧di‧na‧ry /ˈɔːdənəri $ ˈɔːrdəneri/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective 
It’s just an ordinary camera. The book is about ordinary people. Art should be part of ordinary life. It is good because it is written in friendly, ordinary language.out of the ordinary (=unusual or unexpected) Anything out of the ordinary made her nervous.in the ordinary way British English (=as normal) The money is taxed as income in the ordinary way.somebody/something is no ordinary ... (=used to say someone or something is very special) This is no ordinary car. Ruiz is no ordinary prisoner.► see thesaurus at normal2not particularly good or impressive: I thought the paintings were pretty ordinary.—ordinariness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINordinary
Origin:
1300-1400 Latin ordinarius, from ordo; ➔ ORDER1EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- ordinary household items
- an ordinary workday
- Can you get connected to the Internet through an ordinary telephone line?
- Gillman's known for her photographs of ordinary household items.
- He wore an ordinary business suit with a white shirt and tie.
- Housing prices in New York are out of reach for ordinary people.
- I thought it was a pretty ordinary performance.
- It's just an ordinary house in an ordinary street.
- It's surprising that a girl as attractive as Sarah is going out with someone so ordinary looking.
- She was a serious young woman, rather ordinary in appearance.
- The house was clean and well kept, but very ordinary.
- But I am just an ordinary girl, with ordinary parents and went to an ordinary school with 2,000 other kids.
- But, for Ricardo, the system survived not because it served the ordinary man.
- Clearly selling a second-hand car without an ignition key or registration document would not be acting in the ordinary course of business.
- He knew what was happening in the boathouse and it was too ordinary to convert into anything exciting.
- It's a small, ordinary little village, its only claim to fame the castle, and the burial mounds.
- Never despise ordinary things - the ordinary in yourself or in others.
- The shares of ordinary insurers would be cheap.
- We are praying that very ordinary people will be called to a very special task.
THESAURUS
usual, typical, and as you would expect it to be: · Is this cold weather normal for the time of year?· It had been another normal working day in the office.
(also regular especially American English) not special, unusual, or different from normal: · They lived in an ordinary three-bedroomed house.· It looks like an ordinary car, but it uses solar power.· Would you like a regular salad or a Caesar salad?· I just want an ordinary bicycle, not a mountain bike.
[only before noun] around the usual level or amount: · She is of average height.· He is of above average intelligence.· The average price of a pint of milk has gone up.
normal – used about methods of doing something, or about the size, shape, features etc of products: · It’s standard practice to X-ray hand-baggage at most airports.· We stock shoes in all the standard sizes.
used about things that are done regularly as part of a series of things: · The fault was discovered during a routine check of the plane.· routine tasks such as shopping and cooking
[only before noun] used about things that happen or that you use as part of normal life: · He painted scenes of everyday life in France.· Sally was still dressed in her everyday clothes.
used about birds and plants that are of the most usual type, and in the phrase the common people (=people who are not rich and powerful): · the common goldfish· an alliance between the aristocracy and the common people
[only before noun] of the kind that is usually used – used when comparing this with a different or special type: · The engine is more efficient than a conventional diesel engine.· the drugs used in conventional medicine· conventional weapons (=not nuclear, chemical, or biological)· conventional ovens and microwaves
Longman Language Activatornot special or unusual ordinary things are not special or unusual: · It's just an ordinary house in an ordinary street.· He wore an ordinary business suit with a white shirt and tie.· Can you get connected to the Internet through an ordinary telephone line?· Gillman's known for her photographs of ordinary household items.
something that is normal is just as you would expect it to be, because it is not special or different: · The new Ford looks like any normal car, but it has a special advanced engine.· January 2nd is a public holiday in Scotland, but in England it is a normal working day.· Once the pain has gone away, you can resume your normal activities.perfectly normal: · It was a perfectly normal flight until the plane suddenly started to shake.it's normal: · It may have seemed unusually cold recently but experts say it's normal for this time of year.above/below normal: · Tides will be six feet above normal this afternoon.
an average thing is a typical example of a particular type of thing: · The average bagel has 190 calories.· In an average week I watch about 20 hours of TV.
normal - use this especially about products or methods that are the most usual type, without any special features: standard model/size/shape/pattern (=not special): · We make shoes in all standard sizes.· Prices start at $15,489 for the standard model.standard practice/procedure (=the way a job is usually done): · All hand-baggage was X-rayed - this is now standard practice at most airports.· Drug tests are a standard procedure following train accidents.standard English/pronunciation/spelling (=normally accepted as correct): · Students are encouraged to learn standard English because this is what they will need to know in the business world.
use this about something that is done regularly as part of the normal system and not because of any special problem: routine check/inspection/examination etc: · The fault was discovered during a routine check of the plane.· Police found the heroin during a routine inspection of a ship.· It was on a Saturday 15 years ago that, during a routine visit to the doctor, I learned I had cancer.
a conventional method, piece of equipment, weapon etc is of the normal type that has been used for a long time - use this especially when you are comparing one thing with something else that is new or different: · A microwave cooks food much faster than a conventional oven.· The hospital provides both conventional and alternative medical treatments.conventional weapons/arms/bombs etc (=not nuclear weapons): · a new proposal to limit conventional weapons in Europe
use this about the ordinary work, activities, and problems that happen every day: · As Managing Director, I am responsible for the day-to-day management of the company.· Reeve decided to immerse himself in the day-to-day affairs of his company until business improved.
especially American ordinary but good enough for a particular purpose: · If they don't have Tylenol, just get me regular aspirin.· Even though the dye is quite strong, a regular shampoo will remove it.
mainstream books, ideas, organizations etc are not strange or extreme in any way, and are therefore popular with or suitable for most ordinary people: · After starting out as a romance novelist, she decided to try writing mainstream fiction.· Most disabled students are integrated into the mainstream educational system.· The mainstream political parties are losing support to smaller, more radical organizations.
ordinary, usual, or happening every day: · Noland makes sculptures out of everyday objects.· Arthritis made it difficult for him to do everyday things like take out the garbage or mow the lawn.· The first week of the course is spent teaching students English phrases needed for everyday life.
very ordinary, and without any interesting or unusual features · The house was clean and well kept, but very ordinary.· It's surprising that a girl as attractive as Sarah is going out with someone so ordinary looking.
a person or object that is nondescript is not at all interesting to look at because they have no special or unusual features: · The only people in the waiting room were a couple of rather nondescript elderly ladies.· The detective drives a nondescript blue Ford, perfect for observing people unnoticed.· They were an average family living a boring life in a nondescript little house in the suburbs.
very ordinary and not containing anything interesting, shocking etc, often in order to avoid offending or upsetting anyone: · The language in her speech was deliberately bland.· Most job descriptions are bland, boring and totally lacking in colour.· The college's bland appearance made it seem a little unfriendly.
someone or something that is unremarkable is very ordinary and not especially different from most other people or things: · She had had just one adventure in her otherwise unremarkable life.· Josh was, I thought, a pleasant but unremarkable young man.
ordinary people ordinary people are people who are not rich, famous, or powerful: ordinary people/folk: · Politicians don't care about ordinary people.· In the eighteenth century ordinary people had no access whatsoever to education.ordinary guy/man/woman etc: · In the film "Phenomenon", John Travolta plays an ordinary guy who becomes a genius overnight.
an average person is a typical example of a person: · The average family spends about £50 a week on food.· Foreign affairs do not usually interest the average voter.· There is concern that twenty years from now, the average American won't be able to afford to send his or her children to college.
a typical person who has ordinary opinions, likes the same things as most other people etc -- used especially by journalists: · The advertising industry has to know exactly what the man in the street is thinking.· This latest legislation will not really affect the man or woman in the street.
all the ordinary people in a society or country, especially those without special knowledge of a subject: · Very little official information is given to the general public.· She is a poet who is admired by other poets but not well-known to the general public.· Organizers of the President's funeral plan a large ceremony for the general public, and a small, private affair for his family.
the ordinary members of an organization, especially a political organization, when compared with its leaders: · The rank and file has lost confidence in the party leadership.· conflict between union leaders and the rank and file at an Alfa Romeo factory
the ordinary members at the bottom of a political or religious organization: · The decisions were taken by the party leadership without consulting the grass roots.
normal behaviour or feelings if a person is normal , there is nothing strange about them, and they are mentally and physically healthy: · Any normal boy of his age would be interested in football.· Her breathing was normal, but she had a very high temperature.it is normal (for somebody) to do something: · It is quite normal for children to be afraid of the dark.· When you start a new job, it's normal to feel somewhat overwhelmed.perfectly normal (=completely normal): · They seemed like a perfectly normal family.
feelings that are natural are what you would normally expect in a particular situation, so there is no need to feel worried or embarrassed about them: · Anger is a natural reaction when you lose someone you love.it is natural (for somebody) to do something: · I suppose it's natural for a mother to feel sad when her children leave home.· It isn't natural for a child to be so quiet.perfectly/quite natural (=completely natural): · It's perfectly natural to grieve for the loss of a pet.it's only natural spoken: · Of course Jean misses her boyfriend - it's only natural.it's only natural that: · It's only natural that people who spend a lot of time around computers either love them or hate them.
conventional people, behaviour, and opinions are the kind that most people in society think are normal and socially acceptable, although some people think they are boring and old-fashioned: · My mother was very conventional - she didn't approve of my hippie lifestyle.· a young man with conventional tastes in clothes and musicconventional wisdom (=the opinion that most people consider to be normal and right): · Conventional wisdom holds that more money for education means better schools for children.
spoken use this to say that is it normal for people to want to do something: · It's human nature to want what we don't have.
the normal situation if a situation gets back to normal or returns to normal , it becomes normal again after a period when it was not normal: · After the war it took a long time for things to get back to normal.· The strike has caused serious problems, but we hope bus services will quickly return to normal.
also normalcy American written a situation in which everything is normal and exactly how you would expect it to be: · The children soon settled down once normality was re-established.· Both leaders say they hope the relationship between their two countries will be restored to normality.· The town had a cheerful air of normalcy despite the extra policemen everywhere.
not ordinary/not normal not ordinary, but more important, interesting, or impressive than usual: · Tomorrow is a very special day for us - it's our first wedding anniversary.· Is there any special reason why I should let you borrow my car?· Lianne's doctor put her on a special diet and told her to exercise regularly.· She had a special talent for learning languages.something/anything/nothing special: · "Are you doing anything this weekend?" "No, nothing special."special occasion (=an important social event or celebration): · I only wear this suit on special occasions, like weddings.
not at all ordinary, but very unusual, very impressive etc: · As soon as I got there, I realized that this was no ordinary family gathering.· The hundreds of reporters gathered outside the courtroom were a reminder that this was no ordinary trial.
not ordinary/not normal in a very bad way very different from what is normal, in a way that is strange, worrying, or dangerous: · abnormal behaviour that may be a sign of mental illness· an abnormal chest x-ray· El Nino is caused by abnormal amounts of warm water in the Pacific Ocean.it is abnormal (for somebody) to do something: · My parents thought it was abnormal for a boy to be interested in ballet.
different from normal human behaviour in a way that seems morally wrong: · unnatural acts· In some countries, it's considered unnatural for women with families to want to work outside the home.· Brown spoke out against what he considered the unnatural lifestyles of unmarried couples who live together.
formal deviant behaviour or actions are considered to be very strange and morally unacceptable -- often used about sexual or criminal behaviour: · The magazine shows people engaging in deviant sexual acts.· Certain practices that once were condemned as deviant are now considered fairly normal.
not what usually happens · We had snow in April, which is very unusual.· She had an unusual last name - Peachtree or Plumtree or something like that.· I first met Maria in unusual circumstances -- we were both stuck in a Brazilian airport.it is unusual to do something · It is unusual to find lakes of this size in Britain.it is unusual for somebody to do something · We were beginning to worry. It was unusual for David to be so late.
something that is extraordinary is very unusual because it would normally be very unlikely to happen or exist: · The man's story was so extraordinary that I didn't know whether to believe him or not.· He said it was an extraordinary decision and would send many industries spinning into recession.an extraordinary thing to do/say/happen: · She left her husband, and in 1912 that was an extraordinary thing to do.quite/most extraordinary British (=very extraordinary): · The whole incident had been quite extraordinary.
an exceptional situation is very unusual and happens very rarely: · A few of the top executives are women, but this is still exceptional.in exceptional circumstances/cases: · Exit visas are only given in exceptional circumstances.
something that is uncommon or not common is unusual because it does not happen very often: · The disease mostly affects older people, and is not common among people under 50.it is uncommon/not common (for somebody) to do something: · It is uncommon for small babies to sleep more than four hours without waking.
spoken say you don't usually see, find, hear etc something when it is very unusual to see it, find it etc: · You don't usually see rabbits of this size.· You don't often get people ringing up in the middle of the night to say they've found a body in the bath.
unusual and surprising or special: · Something out of the ordinary happened to us that night.· The goalkeeper did not have to do anything out of the ordinary to keep his side in the game.
a special occasion, situation, method etc is one that is different from what normally happens, and usually better: · There were special security arrangements for the President's visit.· The prince said he didn't want any special treatment in his new school.special event/occasion: · I would only buy expensive shoes for a special event such as a wedding.· a book of recipes for every day and special occasions tooin special circumstances: · Prisoners are only allowed to visit their families in special circumstances.
: freak accident/storm/conditions etc an accident, storm etc that is very unusual and unexpected: · He broke his leg in a freak training accident.· A freak wave wrecked most of the seafront.· Two planes were lifted up and thrown across the tarmac by a freak gust of wind.
off-beat films, designs, ideas etc are unusual and often seem interesting or humorous because they are so different from the usual ones: · We had some really offbeat ideas for T-shirt designs.· Movies featuring original or offbeat material are rarely big box-office successes.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The book is about ordinary people. Art should be part of ordinary life. The technical details mean nothing to the average punter.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
The book is about ordinary people. Art should be part of ordinary life. British English (=as normal) The money is taxed as income in the ordinary way.
The money is taxed as income in the ordinary way. (=used to say someone or something is very special) This is no ordinary car. Ruiz is no ordinary prisoner.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES This is no ordinary car. Ruiz is no ordinary prisoner. (also a regular citizen American English)· The government is not aware of the views of ordinary citizens.
· Everyone else was wearing ordinary clothes.
· His bravery was far more than was required in the normal course of duty.
· Ordinary individuals need no more than 3–5 grams of salt per day.
· They are a 'nuisance' in the ordinary meaning, not the legal meaning, of that word.
The technical details mean nothing to the average punter.· That is, her face wasn't as ordinary as her dress.· We managed to insert it into the schools: conflict resolution becomes as ordinary as brushing your teeth.· He eventually resigned as ordinary in November 1727.· I called, got through and spoke to a man who sounded as ordinary and as sane as I thought I was.· Not one of them could be described as ordinary.· The door appears as ordinary dark wood door at first sight, with a pair of brass doorknobs.
· It is camaraderie on the most ordinary level.· Her exceptional goodness in executing the humblest and most ordinary of tasks fired the imagination of Catholics everywhere.· However, some of the most formidable-looking questions can be the most ordinary and helpful titles. 1.· Mitchell needed now to see her perform the most ordinary habits.· But most ordinary citizens - buffeted by price rises and aware of worsening poverty in the slums - remain unimpressed.· Thus our work assumes a kind of holiness that permeates even the most ordinary of everyday activities.· The man with the feather brush is indispensable in the highest ceremonials, and is present on the most ordinary occasions.· Race, relegated to the periphery, can intrude into the most ordinary evening out.
· She'd claim it was quite ordinary - fish cake s, only they went wrong - that sort of thing.· In fact, she is quite ordinary.· In terms of physics it is quite ordinary, but in terms of its usefulness to people on Earth it is unique.· Here is the problem: much of ordinary life appears quite ordinary and remote from the power centres of the world.· Here again, there are many quite ordinary terms for the internal parts of discourse types.· Even things which looked quite ordinary turned out to be interesting when Dad told you about them.· Even quite ordinary forms of stress can have an exaggerated effect on an irritable bowel.· When confident, few drivers were in his ultimate class, technically; when unconfident, he could be quite ordinary.
· But he's so ordinary that he's extraordinary.· Everything looked so ordinary, but only for the moment and only as far as I could see.· He seemed so ordinary, so harmless.· Incidentally Nu, which looks so ordinary, is still more luminous and still more remote.· He was so interested in life and so well-informed and so inquisitive about everything and so ordinary in many respects.· Adamus used a key, something so ordinary.· Water to you and me is so ordinary.
· In Berlin, Friedrichstrasse meets Zimmerstrasse at a very ordinary road junction across which traffic flows freely.· They just seemed very ordinary and very dull and boring people.· It was, after all, a very ordinary murder.· Lilianenot a very ordinary name, I think.· We are praying that very ordinary people will be called to a very special task.· The Seahawks have been a very ordinary franchise every since.· If you take away the image all that's left is a bunch of exceptionally pretty boys making some very ordinary music.· Woodforde was a very ordinary man.
NOUN· The legal model assumes that the board of directors manages the ordinary business of the company.· All the ordinary business of life stopped.· They were awarded damages for this loss of ordinary business which arose naturally from the late delivery.· They were most sacred days, when much of the ordinary business of life was suspended.· They would include, for example, small charities and pension funds, unless the trustees are themselves ordinary business investors.· The L.T.E.'s basic obligation was to run its operations on ordinary business principles, which the fare reduction contravened.
· The unpaid volunteers will not wear uniforms and will not have any special powers over and above those of ordinary citizens.· They passed legislation that often made it impossible for ordinary citizens to sue for their injuries.· The fact of production and the images presented have strong economic implications for the film and television industry and the ordinary citizen.· Interactive telecommunications increasingly give ordinary citizens immediate access to the major political decisions that affect their lives and property.· When the Senate adopts a measure by 100 votes to none, the ordinary citizen should count the spoons.· But his main ploy was to portray Weld as a friend of the rich eager to reduce educational opportunities for ordinary citizens.· They are the ordinary citizens for whom the honours system was designed - people who have dedicated their lives to duty.· Together leaders and ordinary citizens produced widely differing evaluations.
· Target business to be run in ordinary course up to completion with no material changes in trading performance or net assets.· Workers have become expendable parts for sale in the ordinary course of commerce.· Clearly selling a second-hand car without an ignition key or registration document would not be acting in the ordinary course of business.· In the ordinary course of everyday living we are immersed completely in the personality.· It was in fact made without protest and in the ordinary course of customs business.· It is sufficient that he was acting within the ordinary course of business of mercantile agents generally.· However, although it will not be accepted, it will not in the ordinary course of events be anticipated.· In the ordinary course of banking the victim gets the cheque back but after encashment.
· It is good because it is written in friendly, ordinary language and where jargon creeps in, it is explained.· The accused may be guilty even though he does not in ordinary language obtain a service.· What this meant in ordinary language was that only those who subscribed to Francoist ideals would be remembered and honoured.· So once again the emphasis is not on poetry in itself, but on the difference between poetry and ordinary language.· The third aspect of ordinary language which is violated by poetry is semantics.· Reality is at his disposal in the same way that ordinary language and the current literary conventions and devices are.· But it works the same way as ordinary language.· In order to participate in ordinary language usage, one must be able to make such calculations, both in production and interpretation.
· The collection of texts, songs, refrains and acclamations brings Holy Week and Easter vividly and fruitfully into ordinary lives.· Most of these memories, these scenes of ordinary life, came to me from Katherine, who still lives in Denver.· The impact of war on ordinary lives was beginning to create the conditions for a mass peace movement.· Afterwards, ordinary life seems unimportant: business; politics; all the things people get worked up about: unimportant.· Jenny Wilson was an ordinary woman, leading an ordinary life, had an ordinary job in an ordinary town.· In our ordinary life this truth is hidden from us or only dimly glimpsed at times or imperfectly held and conceived.· Any revolutionary aspirations of the younger members are centred on gaining work and admittance to the mainstream of ordinary life.· This is the setup for a small movie about small moments in an ordinary life.
· Fortunately the dogged good sense of the ordinary man is far from dead.· But what about the ordinary man himself?· Diana had married no ordinary man.· This chapter will deal with the first question: What does the ordinary man think he should do?· The ordinary man is the curse of civilization.· If the model democratic citizen is active, participating, and influential, is this what the ordinary man aspires to be?· Woodforde was a very ordinary man.· The political behavior of ordinary men and women is seldom analyzed using explicit, personality-based approaches.
· My own aspirations are more lowly - I am just an ordinary member.· But they were no ordinary members of the Washington press corps.· The Association is eager to recruit more shareholders and ordinary members to facilitate this.· He remained an ordinary member of Legco.· I am not alone in this stage of limbo, for none of the other ordinary members of the committee knows either.· The bondholders elected their committee representatives, i.e. eight bondholders to the Club's four ordinary members.· However, the ordinary member of the public can not go around arresting cyclists and homeless persons and so on under section 25.· The chairman historically was a person who had served on the tribunal as an ordinary member for some time.
· Lords, ladies, dukes and duchesses figure prominently among the names as well as more ordinary mortals of obviously substantial means.· She held herself raised by her great prosperity above all that ordinary mortals fear and reverence.· However, such models of the universe are not of much interest to us ordinary mortals.· This increased exposure allows them to exploit their advantages over more ordinary mortals more easily than their predecessors could.· This to ordinary mortals seems quite inaccessible but it has been climbed, the first ascent being in 1967.· An ordinary mortal named Zeuxis had set up his easel to portray the family group.· Artists are terribly difficult people for us ordinary mortals to deal with.· He reckons wise men don't need to bother much with the truth as far as ordinary mortals are concerned.
· But, we know surprisingly little of a systematic nature about what ordinary people nowadays think of the subject.· The movie is strongest when Lee keeps his eye on the prize: the experiences of ordinary people in an extraordinary time.· But three ordinary people with very different lifestyles are about to display theirs in public.· Could an interface be designed so that ordinary people could use it?· These inventories, therefore, give a sound idea of the standard of living of thousands of ordinary people.· But how to convince ordinary people that this was so?· Announcing a change in policy, Idris Wakil said that from now on what ordinary people did should make the news.· Ford made the automobile affordable for ordinary people, and they bought it in incredible numbers.
· No ordinary person wants them any more, though they will for years to come provide talking points for the chattering classes.· I provide the example of the country lawyer who has won big for the ordinary person.· Ken Kessler is an ordinary person trying to get by in the information age.· The rich guys can get elected on their money, but somebody like me, an ordinary person, needs the party.· It would certainly create more work for the lawyers but would not add a great deal of protection for the ordinary person.· The local paper gives the ordinary person a voice.· The ordinary person does not inherently dislike work: according to the conditions it may be a source of satisfaction or punishment.· Nevertheless, an ordinary person might be hard put to tell one from the other.
· This number sequence is frequently used in mathematical investigations in ordinary schools.· More than 1,000 pupils go to ordinary schools, after assessments from the five area boards.· Approximately 20 percent of elementary school age children were attending 2,000 ordinary schools by 1933.· Amongst the general population of children in ordinary schools, about a sixth have special educational needs of one kind or another.· A much higher proportion of special schools offer boarding facilities than ordinary schools, especially those run by voluntary organisations.· Conrad's figure excludes those placed in ordinary schools.· It was not necessary for a boy to be musical; in addition to the choirboys there was an ordinary school.· With Herbert's support, John seems to have applied that principle to his own education, even in an ordinary school.
· Cobras do not hear in the ordinary sense as they have no extended ears.· Not through the medium of the brain and nervous system and the ordinary sense organs.· It will not be a Coalition in the ordinary sense of the term but a co-operation of individuals. 3.· Well, yes, but not in any ordinary sense.· We shall be using the term in the ordinary sense, without, we hope, any fear of being misunderstood.· And its author certainly shows himself to be bright enough, in every ordinary sense.· This computer has no machine code instruction set or data formats in the ordinary sense.
· The convertibles swap into Caird ordinary shares at 535p, compared to a share price of 479p, down 12p, yesterday.· Forte has 949 million ordinary shares outstanding.· An interim dividend of 6p per ordinary share was paid on 1 April 1993 in respect of the year ending 31 December 1993.· The Directors propose to offer ordinary shareholders the opportunity to receive fully paid ordinary shares in the Company in lieu of the cash dividend.· It requests that an authority for market purchases should not normally exceed 10 percent of the company's issued ordinary share capital.· Sketchley requires you to hold 300 ordinary shares, costing about £3.71 each, to qualify for its discount.· The ordinary shares at 564p yield 7.5%.· The capital structure is simple, with only ordinary shares in issue.
· The matter would then have been dealt with in the ordinary way, after all counsel involved had been consulted.· Oh, I mean ordinary in ordinary ways, he said, flushing.· The parcel is then sent, bearing this label, in the ordinary way but without payment being made at the counter.· And I wondered if she was right, if Clarisa was losing her last inclination to do things the ordinary way.· Mining operations on new sites require planning permission in the ordinary way.· Gregarious, erudite and energetic, Brezzo could never be accused of thinking in small, ordinary ways.· But in the ordinary way we shouldn't expect to, of course, he isn't a writing man.· Such men are where they are because they are in touch in more than the ordinary way with humanity and its concerns.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1average, common, or usual, not different or special: - A penchant for setting oneself apart and above mere mortals.
- And together we were emphatically co-operative that neighbouring forces were populated by lesser mortals.
- However, such models of the universe are not of much interest to us ordinary mortals.
- Lords, ladies, dukes and duchesses figure prominently among the names as well as more ordinary mortals of obviously substantial means.
- Miracles can be worked by Him alone, although mere mortals may entreat Him by prayer to perform them on their behalf.
- She held herself raised by her great prosperity above all that ordinary mortals fear and reverence.
- This increased exposure allows them to exploit their advantages over more ordinary mortals more easily than their predecessors could.
It’s just an ordinary camera. The book is about ordinary people. Art should be part of ordinary life. It is good because it is written in friendly, ordinary language.out of the ordinary (=unusual or unexpected) Anything out of the ordinary made her nervous.in the ordinary way British English (=as normal) The money is taxed as income in the ordinary way.somebody/something is no ordinary ... (=used to say someone or something is very special) This is no ordinary car. Ruiz is no ordinary prisoner.► see thesaurus at normal2not particularly good or impressive: I thought the paintings were pretty ordinary.—ordinariness noun [uncountable]