extra
adjective
beyond or more than what is usual, expected, or necessary; additional.
extra
1 American
[ek-struh]
/ ˈɛk strə /
adjective
-
beyond or more than what is usual, expected, or necessary; additional.
an extra copy of a newspaper; an extra charge.
-
larger or better than what is usual.
an extra binding.
-
Slang.
-
extremely good.
-
over the top; extreme or excessive.
Her behavior is just so extra, so dramatic!
-
noun
-
extras
plural
-
something extra or additional.
the little amenities and extras that make life pleasant.
-
an additional expense.
-
a special edition of a newspaper, other than a regular edition.
-
something of superior quality.
-
Movies, Television. a person hired by the day to play a minor part, as a member of a mob or crowd.
-
an additional worker.
-
Cricket. Usually extras. a score or run not made from the bat, as a bye or a wide.
adverb
-
in excess of the usual or specified amount.
an extra high price.
-
beyond the ordinary degree; unusually; uncommonly.
done extra well; extra large.
extra-
2
American
extra
1
British
/ ˈɛkstrə /
adjective
noun
-
a person or thing that is additional
-
something for which an additional charge is made
the new car had many extras
-
an additional edition of a newspaper, esp to report a new development or crisis
-
films an actor or person temporarily engaged, usually for crowd scenes
-
cricket a run not scored from the bat, such as a wide, no-ball, bye, or leg bye
-
something that is better than usual in quality
adverb
extra-
2
British
prefix
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of extra1
First recorded in 1770–80; by shortening of extraordinary
Origin of extra-2
< Latin, combining form of extrā (adv. and preposition) outside (of ), without
Explanation
Something extra is more than you need or more than you usually have. It's never a bad idea to bake extra chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes extra things are good, like the extra money you made this month or the extra attention you get on your birthday. Other times, they're not so great: nobody needs extra problems or extra traffic. Extra can also be an adverb, meaning "especially" or "unusually," like when your dog behaves extra well or you plan an extra special party for your friend. Extra comes from extraordinary, from the Latin root extra ordinem, "outside normal events."
Vocabulary lists containing extra
Theater - Introductory
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Theater - Middle School
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Theater - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The extra 55 horsepower and 28 pound-feet of torque add to its driving credentials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
The city still would be required to fund the department at the same average percentage out of the general fund, ensuring extra revenue generated by the tax would add to its regular budget.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
He said he had a "gut feeling" that it was the best approach, but the team had insisted on a prep lap and had fuelled the car for the extra mileage.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Soaring candy prices have many Americans looking to scare up some extra value during what has been an already expensive year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
She drops some extra napkins on the table and turns to the people at the table next to us.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Once the paneling is clean, I then suggested that she very lightly sand the light areas on the paneling with extra- or super-fine sandpaper to just scuff up the existing clear coating.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2022
It turns out that nonbelievers are the ones doing most of the magical thinking when it comes to extra-, intra-, and ultraterrestrial beings.
From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2021
The second stage of extra- and co-curricular reopening, scheduled for July 20-Aug.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 3, 2020
A wholesale T-shirt company offers sizes small, medium, large, and extra- large in organic or non- organic cotton and colors white, black, gray, blue, and red.
From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015
Adrienne sends you home with three dollars and an extra- large hot chocolate.
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
The Jillaroos beat their 92-0 record, set against France in the 2022 World Cup, when Southwell converted Sergis' fourth try, hitting three figures when the extras were added to star full-back Tamika Upton's breakaway.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Josh Hodge added the extras to give Newcastle a 7-3 lead and he extended that to 10-3 with a simple close chip over after Sale were again penalised, this time for entering from the side.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
What surprised me most was how resourceful and resilient people have been in meeting economic challenges, even while cutting back on spending for extras.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
All of us were extras, and I feel like people saw us in the films and started to emulate us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
“Good thing Reg keeps a couple of extras around,” said the woman.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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