INDEX:
1. not special or unusual
2. very ordinary, and without any interesting or unusual features
3. ordinary people
4. normal behaviour or feelings
5. the normal situation
6. not ordinary/not normal
7. not ordinary/not normal in a very bad way
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ UNUSUAL
↑ STRANGE
ordinary and not interesting or exciting : ↑ BORING/BORED
see also
↑ USUALLY
↑ COMMON
↑ USED TO/ACCUSTOMED TO
↑ CONVENTIONAL/UNCONVENTIONAL
↑ TYPICAL
↑ SPECIAL
↑ CRAZY
◆◆◆
1. not special or unusual
▷ ordinary /ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri/ [adjective usually before noun]
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.
▷ normal /ˈnɔːʳm ə l/ [adjective]
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.
normally [adverb]
▪ Now the strike is over, and trains are running normally.
▷ average /ˈæv ə rɪdʒ/ [adjective only before noun]
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.
▷ standard /ˈstændəʳd/ [adjective usually before noun]
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.
▷ routine /ruːˈtiːn/ [adjective usually before noun]
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.
▷ conventional /kənˈvenʃ ə nəl/ [adjective only before noun]
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
▷ day-to-day /ˌdeɪ tə ˈdeɪ/ [adjective only before noun]
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.
▷ regular /ˈregjɑləʳ/ [adjective only before noun] 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 /ˈmeɪnstriːm/ [adjective only before noun]
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.
▷ everyday /ˈevrideɪ/ [adjective only before noun]
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.
2. very ordinary, and without any interesting or unusual features
▷ ordinary /ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri/ [adjective]
▪ 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.
▷ nondescript /ˈnɒndɪˌskrɪpt, ˈnɒndəˌskrɪptǁˌnɑːndə̇ˈskrɪpt/ [adjective]
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.
▷ bland /blænd/ [adjective]
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.
▷ unremarkable /ˌʌnrɪˈmɑːʳkəb ə l◂/ [adjective]
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.
3. ordinary people
▷ ordinary /ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri-/ [plural noun]
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.
▷ average /ˈæv ə rɪdʒ/ [adjective only before noun]
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.
▷ the man/woman in the street /ðə ˌmæn, ˌwʊmən ɪn ðə ˈstriːt/ [noun phrase]
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.
▷ the general public /ðə ˌdʒen ə rəl ˈpʌblɪk/ [noun phrase]
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 rank and file /ðə ˌræŋk ən ˈfaɪl/ [noun phrase]
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
rank-and-file [adjective only before noun]
▪ rank-and-file members
▷ the grass roots /ðə ˌgrɑːs ˈruːtsǁ-ˌgræs-/ [singular noun]
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.
grassroots /ˈgrɑːsruːtsǁˈgræs-/ [adjective only before noun]
▪ a grassroots campaign
▪ The party is in some difficulty, but still has grassroots support.
4. normal behaviour or feelings
▷ normal /ˈnɔːʳm ə l/ [adjective]
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.
normally [adverb]
▪ Even a few hours before he committed suicide, he seemed to be behaving perfectly normally.
▷ natural /ˈnætʃər ə l/ [adjective]
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 /kənˈvenʃ ə nəl/ [adjective]
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 music
conventional 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.
conventionally [adverb]
▪ She was dressed very conventionally in a rather dull grey suit.
▷ it’s human nature (to do something) /ɪts ˌhjuːmən ˈneɪtʃəʳ (tə duː something )/ 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.
5. the normal situation
▷ get back to normal/return to normal /get ˌbæk tə ˈnɔːʳm ə l, rɪˌtɜːʳn tə ˈnɔʳːm ə l/ [verb phrase]
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.
▷ normality also normalcy American /nɔːʳˈmælɪti, nɔːʳˈmæləti, ˈnɔːʳm ə lsi/ [uncountable noun] 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.
6. not ordinary/not normal
▷ special /ˈspeʃ ə l/ [adjective]
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.
▷ no ordinary /nəʊ ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri/ [determiner]
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.
7. not ordinary/not normal in a very bad way
▷ abnormal /æbˈnɔːʳm ə l/ [adjective usually before noun]
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.
abnormally [adverb]
▪ abnormally low blood pressure
▪ She became abnormally fascinated by death.
▪ Snow this early in the season could mean we’ll have an abnormally cold winter.
abnormality /ˌæbnɔːˈmælɪti, ˌæbnɔːˈmælətiǁ-nər-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ The drug was found to cause genetic abnormalities in unborn children.
▪ The tests will show if there is any abnormality in your nervous system.
▷ unnatural /ʌnˈnætʃ ə rəl/ [adjective]
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.
unnaturally [adverb]
▪ Police allege that Ellis cruelly and unnaturally treated the two women in her care.
▷ deviant /ˈdiːviənt/ [adjective] 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.