ordinary

This sense of 'ordinary' describes something that is [common], [usual], or [normal]. It refers to things that are not special, surprising, or out of the ordinary, and are what one would [typical]ly expect or encounter in [everyday] life. It can describe a [regular] occurrence or a [standard] procedure. An informal way to describe something like this is 'run-of-the-mill', indicating it's unexceptional.

• It was just an ordinary day at the office. — It was just a common, typical day at the office, nothing special happened.
• She was an ordinary person, but with extraordinary talent. — She was a normal, usual person, but possessed exceptional talent.
• He leads a perfectly ordinary life. — His life is perfectly normal and regular, without anything out of the ordinary.

While sense 1 of 'ordinary' is often neutral, this sense carries a slightly negative implication. It describes something that is not distinguished in any way, suggesting it is [mediocre], [average], or [plain] rather than genuinely good or interesting. It denotes something that is [unremarkable] or [undistinguished], often lacking creativity or higher quality, and might even be considered [uninspired].

• Her looks were quite ordinary. — Her looks were quite average or plain, not particularly striking or beautiful.
• The food at the restaurant was pretty ordinary. — The food at the restaurant was pretty mediocre or unremarkable, not impressive.

As a noun, 'ordinary' refers to the [norm] or the [usual] state of affairs, the customary way things happen or are done. It describes what is [routine] or the 'common run' of events, similar to the 'status quo' or the established order.

• He continued his studies in the ordinary course of events. — He continued his studies as part of the normal and usual progression of events.
• This is outside the ordinary for our operations. — This is not within the usual or routine procedures for our operations.

This word has two distinct, more specialized meanings as a noun. Firstly, it can refer to an ecclesiastical or judicial officer who exercises regular jurisdiction, such as a [bishop] or [prelate] in a diocese, or sometimes a [judge] in a court. This person holds inherent, rather than delegated, authority. Secondly, in a historical context, 'ordinary' referred to a specific type of public eating establishment where a fixed-price meal was served at a particular time. This historical meaning is quite specific to past English usage and does not have a direct modern single-word equivalent in English. To convey this specific meaning today, one might use a descriptive phrase like 'fixed-price public dining house' or, using a French loanword that describes a similar meal concept, a 'table d'hôte restaurant.' The term 'ordinary' itself for this type of establishment is not commonly used outside historical texts.

• The Ordinary of the diocese presided over the ceremony. — The bishop or ecclesiastical officer with regular jurisdiction over the diocese presided over the ceremony.
• They dined at the ordinary, sharing stories with other travelers. — They dined at the public eating establishment that served fixed-price meals, sharing stories with other travelers.