extraordinary
Americanadjective
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beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established.
extraordinary costs.
- Synonyms:
- inordinate
-
exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable.
extraordinary speed;
an extraordinary man.
-
(of an official, employee, etc.) outside of or additional to the ordinary staff; having a special, often temporary task or responsibility.
minister extraordinary and plenipotentiary.
adjective
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very unusual, remarkable, or surprising
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not in an established manner, course, or order
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employed for particular events or purposes
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(usually postpositive) (of an official, etc) additional or subordinate to the usual one
a minister extraordinary
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of extraordinary
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English extraordinarie, from Latin extrāordinārius “beyond ordinary,” equivalent to extra- + ordinary
Explanation
Something extraordinary goes above and beyond what is expected. This can be good or bad. Saving a child from a burning building is an extraordinary act of heroism, but a test score of 11 out of 100 is extraordinary too. The extra- in extraordinary means "outside" the ordinary. If you had to work for 10 hours on a two-page writing assignment, that means it was an extraordinarily hard assignment. Either that or you were extraordinarily slow. We often use the word extraordinary as a superlative. If your friend bakes you a cake better than any you’ve ever tasted, you could tell her it is “extraordinary.”
Vocabulary lists containing extraordinary
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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List 5
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myPerspectives 7.5
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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.
It looks a little silly—Dodgers legend Orel Hershiser compared it to something typically seen in a beer league softball game—but the results have been extraordinary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“A true piece of livable art, this one-of-a-kind Malibu retreat offers museum-worthy design in an extraordinary coastal setting,” the listing continues.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Film producer Nick Barton said he believes this "extraordinary story could make a really brilliant and successful movie".
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
TPS provides protection from deportation for people from countries designated as unsafe because of war, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
They tell the story of the birth of science, of its infancy, and of its extraordinary transformation into the great colossus under whose shadow we all now live.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
