ordinary

Definitions

ordin- (the regular order, the usual row) + -ary (relating to) = 'belonging to the usual order.' If something follows the normal sequence and nothing has stepped out of line, it is ordinary — and so 'in the usual order' came to mean simply 'normal, everyday.'

Why It Means This

ordinary sits right on the fault line of the family. To be 'in the order' is to be where you're expected — unremarkable. That's why English could simply add extra- (beyond) to flip it: extraordinary = outside the normal order, hence striking. The two words are a built-in antonym pair: ordinary is in the row, extraordinary jumps out of it.

Common Collocations

• 1.ordinary people普通人
• 2.an ordinary day平常的一天
• 3.in ordinary circumstances在通常情况下
• 4.out of the ordinary不寻常的
• 5.ordinary life平凡的生活

Example Sentences

• 1.

  It started as an ordinary Tuesday, until the phone rang.

• 2.

  She's not a celebrity, just an ordinary person like you and me.

• 3.

  The food was nothing special, pretty ordinary actually.

• 4.

  In ordinary circumstances we'd refund you, but the sale was final.

Easily Confused

ordinary vs normal — normal contrasts with abnormal/faulty (normal body temperature); ordinary contrasts with special/remarkable (an ordinary, not luxury, hotel). A normal day works as expected; an ordinary day is just unremarkable.

Synonym Comparison