usual

u·su·al
U1S1U1A1L1
UK/ˈjuː.ʒʊəl/US/ˈju.ʒuəl/US/ˈju.ʒ(w)əl/

adjective

Most commonly occurring; typical.

“Two usuals, please.”

CommonScrabble 5

Meanings

adjectiveusual (comparative more usual, superlative most usual)

comparative more usual · superlative most usual · alternative uzhe · alternative uzh · alternative yoozh

  1. Most commonly occurring; typical.

    We saw as many as usual.

    3 more examples

    The preference of a boy to a girl is a usual occurrence in some parts of China.

    It is becoming more usual these days to rear children as bilingual.

    And ſince this Family, called Ciu, which now holdeth the Souereigntie, hath reigned, it is called Min [translating 明 (Míng)], which intimateth Splendour, and by vſuall addition of one ſyllable Ta-min [translating 大明 (Dàmíng)], that is, the Kingdome of Great Splendour, Brightneſſe or Glory.

    1625, [Samuel] Purchas, “A Diſcourſe of the Kingdome of China”, in Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 3rd part, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, 2nd book, § V, page 380

    Synonyms: ordinary, plain, regular, simple, standard, typical, wonted, average · Antonyms: abnormal, atypical, unusual

nounusual (countable and uncountable, plural usuals)

plural usuals · alternative uzhe · alternative uzh · alternative yoozh

  1. uncountableThe typical state of something, or something that is typical.
  2. colloquialcountableA specific good or service (e.g. a drink) that someone typically orders.

    Two usuals, please.

    1 more example

    I'll just have the usual.

Synonyms & antonyms

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveoccurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

Opposite

adjectivecommonly encountered

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₃eyt-“to take along, fetch”
  2. Latinūsuālis“for use, fit for use, also of common use, customary, common, ordinary, usual”
  3. Old Frenchusuel
  4. Middle Englishusual
  5. Englishusual

From Middle English usual, from Old French usuel, from Latin ūsuālis (“for use, fit for use, also of common use, customary, common, ordinary, usual”), from ūsus (“use, habit, custom”), from the past participle stem of ūtī (“to use”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃eyt- (“to take along, fetch”). Displaced native Old English ġewunelīċ.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans alledaags, gewoon
  • alledaagsmost commonly occurring
  • gewoonmost commonly occurring
Arabic عَادِيّ
  • عَادِيّ (ʕādiyy)most commonly occurring
Basque ohiko, ohizko
  • ohikomost commonly occurring
  • ohizkomost commonly occurring
Bulgarian обичаен, обикновен
  • обичаен (običaen)most commonly occurring
  • обикновен (obiknoven)most commonly occurring
Catalan usual
  • usualmost commonly occurring
Chinese Mandarin 通常
  • 通常 (tōngcháng)most commonly occurring
Czech obvyklý
  • obvyklýmost commonly occurring
Danish admindelig, sædvanlig
  • admindeligmost commonly occurring
  • sædvanligmost commonly occurring
Dutch gewoon, alledaags
  • gewoonmost commonly occurring
  • alledaagsmost commonly occurring
Esperanto kutima
  • kutimamost commonly occurring
Estonian tavaline
  • tavalinemost commonly occurring
Finnish tavallinen
  • tavallinenmost commonly occurring
French habituel, habituelle
  • habituelmost commonly occurring
  • habituellemost commonly occurring
German gewöhnlich, üblich
  • gewöhnlichmost commonly occurring
  • üblichmost commonly occurring
Hindi प्रायिक
  • प्रायिक (prāyik)most commonly occurring
Hungarian szokásos, rendesen
  • szokásosmost commonly occurring
  • rendesenmost commonly occurring
Icelandic venjulegur
  • venjulegurmost commonly occurring
Irish iondúil
  • iondúilmost commonly occurring
Italian solito, usuale
  • solitomost commonly occurring
  • usualemost commonly occurring
  • consuetomost commonly occurring
  • abitualemost commonly occurring
Japanese 通常, いつもの
  • 通常 (tsūjō)most commonly occurring
  • いつもの (itsumo no)most commonly occurring
Korean 보통의
  • 보통의 (botong'ui)most commonly occurring
Latin solitus, usualis
  • solitusmost commonly occurring
  • usualismost commonly occurring
  • ūsitātusmost commonly occurring
Latvian parasts
  • parastsmost commonly occurring
Norwegian Bokmål vanlig, sedvanlig
  • vanligmost commonly occurring
  • sedvanligmost commonly occurring
Polish zwykły
  • zwykłymost commonly occurring
Portuguese usual
  • usualmost commonly occurring
Romanian uzual, obișnuit
  • uzualmost commonly occurring
  • obișnuitmost commonly occurring
Russian обыкнове́нный, обы́чный
  • обыкнове́нный (obyknovénnyj)most commonly occurring
  • обы́чный (obýčnyj)most commonly occurring
Slovak obvyklý
  • obvyklýmost commonly occurring
Spanish usual, habitual
  • usualmost commonly occurring
  • habitualmost commonly occurring
  • consabidomost commonly occurring
Swahili kawaida
  • kawaidamost commonly occurring
Swedish vanlig
  • vanligmost commonly occurring
Thai ธรรมดา, เช่นเคย
  • ธรรมดา (tam-má-daa)most commonly occurring
  • เช่นเคย (chêen-kəəi)most commonly occurring
  • สามัญ (sǎa-man)most commonly occurring
Turkish olağan
  • olağanmost commonly occurring
Ukrainian звича́йний
  • звича́йний (zvyčájnyj)most commonly occurring
Vietnamese bình thường
  • bình thườngmost commonly occurring
Cite this entry
APA

usual. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usual

MLA

“usual.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usual. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “usual,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usual.

Source: usual on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.