usual

English

Alternative forms

• (shortening, informal) (no fixed spelling) uzhe, uzh, yoozh

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈjuːʒʊəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈjuːʒuəl/, /ˈjuːʒəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: u‧su‧al

Adjective

usual (comparative more usual, superlative most usual)

1. Most commonly occurring; typical.

   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.

Synonyms

• wonted, normal, common, standard, regular, ordinary, plain, simple, typical

Antonyms

• unusual, abnormal, atypical

Derived terms

Related terms

• usuality

Translations

Noun

usual (uncountable)

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

   I'll just have the usual.

Usage notes

Sometimes colloquially shortened to the first syllable (IPA^(key): /juːʒ/), an overwhelmingly spoken-only slang word with no single widely accepted spelling (see uzhe).

Further reading

• “usual”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “usual”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• luaus

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin ūsuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uˈswal/,
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: u‧sual

Adjective

usual (epicene, plural usuales)

1. common, typical, usual

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ūsuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencian)
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: u‧su‧al

Adjective

usual m or f (masculine and feminine plural usuals)

1. usual

   Antonym: inusual

Derived terms

• inusual
• usualment

Further reading

• “usual” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “usual”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “usual” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “usual” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Latin ūsuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uˈswal/
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: u‧sual

Adjective

usual m or f (plural usuais)

1. usual, regular, normal

Derived terms

• usualmente

Further reading

• “usual” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• usuel, usualle, usuale, usuell, usuall

Etymology

From Old French usuel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iu̯ziu̯ˈaːl/, /iu̯zuˈaːl/, /ˈiu̯ziu̯al/, /ˈiu̯zual/, /ˈiu̯zuəl/

Adjective

usual

1. customary, established
2. usual, normal, regular

Descendants

• English: usual
• Scots: usual, uswal, eeswal

References

• “ūsuā̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-08.

Piedmontese

Alternative forms

• üsual

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /yˈzɥal/

Adjective

usual

1. usual

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin ūsuālis.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: u‧su‧al

Adjective

usual m or f (plural usuais)

1. usual (most commonly occurring)

   Antonym: inusual

Derived terms

• inusual
• usualmente

Related terms

• usar
• uso

Further reading

• “usual” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ūsuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uˈswal/

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: u‧sual

Adjective

usual m or f (masculine and feminine plural usuales)

1. usual

   Antonym: inusual

Derived terms

Further reading

• “usual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014