Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Ordinary has 11 different meanings across 2 categories:
a judge of a probate court
"The ordinary granted final approval to the estate after reviewing all the submitted accounts."
a clergyman appointed to prepare condemned prisoners for death
"The ordinary visited each cell in the morning, reading scripture and offering last rites before the executioner arrived at noon."
an early bicycle with a very large front wheel and small back wheel
"The antique shop owner displayed his prized ordinary next to the modern unicycles, drawing curious stares from passersby."
(heraldry) any of several conventional figures used on shields
"The heraldic ordinary known as a bend cuts diagonally across the shield to divide it into two sections."
A person with authority; authority, ordinance.
"After praying the variable prayers for his deceased wife, he joined the congregation in reciting the ordinary during daily mass."
A person having immediate jurisdiction in a given case of ecclesiastical law, such as the bishop within a diocese.
The part of the Roman Catholic Mass that is the same every day
In plain English: An ordinary person is someone who is just like everyone else and has nothing special about them.
"In the ordinary of daily life, small acts of kindness can make a big difference."
Usage: Although often used as an adjective, "ordinary" functions as a noun in specific religious contexts to refer to the unchanging portion of the Roman Catholic Mass. You should only use it this way when discussing liturgical texts, not to describe average people or events.
not exceptional in any way especially in quality or ability or size or degree
"ordinary everyday objects"
"ordinary decency"
"an ordinary day"
"an ordinary wine"
Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases.
"The phrase "of ordinary course" is often seen in legal documents to indicate that an action follows standard procedures without special exceptions."
In plain English: Ordinary means something that is normal, common, and not special or unusual.
"The weather was ordinary, with just a little bit of rain and some clouds."
Usage: Use "ordinary" to describe something common or lacking special distinction, such as an ordinary day at work. Do not use it when referring to legal authority, as that specific meaning of having regular jurisdiction is now archaic and limited to fixed phrases like "ordinary jurisdiction."
The word "ordinary" comes from the Medieval Latin ordinarius, which meant "regular" or "orderly." This term is derived from the Latin ordo, meaning "order."