extra
1 Americanadjective
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beyond or more than what is usual, expected, or necessary; additional.
an extra copy of a newspaper; an extra charge.
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larger or better than what is usual.
an extra binding.
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Slang.
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extremely good.
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over the top; extreme or excessive.
Her behavior is just so extra, so dramatic!
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noun
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something extra or additional.
the little amenities and extras that make life pleasant.
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an additional expense.
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a special edition of a newspaper, other than a regular edition.
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something of superior quality.
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Movies, Television. a person hired by the day to play a minor part, as a member of a mob or crowd.
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an additional worker.
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Cricket. Usually extras. a score or run not made from the bat, as a bye or a wide.
adverb
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in excess of the usual or specified amount.
an extra high price.
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beyond the ordinary degree; unusually; uncommonly.
done extra well; extra large.
adjective
noun
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a person or thing that is additional
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something for which an additional charge is made
the new car had many extras
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an additional edition of a newspaper, esp to report a new development or crisis
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films an actor or person temporarily engaged, usually for crowd scenes
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cricket a run not scored from the bat, such as a wide, no-ball, bye, or leg bye
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something that is better than usual in quality
adverb
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:
Unified’s already adopted plan calls for more than 6,000 job reductions, slashing up to $500 million per year in extra services for schools with the greatest needs and seven unpaid furlough days for each worker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The World Cup adds a slew of extra tax issues.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
But some welcomed the extra money it would generate, which the council said would be used on public transport.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
I love topping it with Topo Chico for the soda’s minerality and extra fizziness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Out of curiosity, he slowed down and listened extra hard.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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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
Gene Berkenkamp and the rest of the Cal boys leaned into their oars and took the prescribed ten extra- hard pulls.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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More recently, in 2024-25, the core amount of the grant, without extras for building, was about £52m - significantly lower than what will become the new base level of funding from next year.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Many Advantage plans bundle Part A hospital coverage, Part B outpatient coverage, and Part D drug coverage—plus extras like gym memberships and dental care—for no additional premium.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
Access to 11 countries, AES-256 encryption with WireGuard, plus extras like split tunneling and Stealth protocol.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
At another point, he recalled recently watching “Wicked” on an airplane and wondering aloud why studios still bothered paying human extras.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
“It’s waffle day. You got any extras to send me?”
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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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.