extraordinary

[ik-strawr-dn-er-ee, ek-struh-awr-]

See more synonyms for extraordinary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established: extraordinary costs.
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.

Origin of extraordinary

1425–75; late Middle English extraordinarie < Latin extrāordinārius beyond what is ordinary. See extra-, ordinary

Related formsex·traor·di·nar·i·ly

[ik-strawr-dn-air-uh-lee, ek-struh-awr-] /ɪkˌstrɔr dnˈɛər ə li, ˌɛk strəˌɔr-/, adverbex·traor·di·nar·i·ness, nounun·ex·traor·di·nar·y, adjective

Synonyms for extraordinary

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1. inordinate. 2. uncommon, singular, rare, phenomenal, special, signal.

Antonyms for extraordinary

1, 2. common, usual.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for extraordinary

fantastic, remarkable, outstanding, unheard-of, marvelous, curious, bizarre, odd, special, unusual, incredible, phenomenal, singular, terrific, amazing, strange, unprecedented, unimaginable, exceptional, uncommon

Examples from the Web for extraordinary

Contemporary Examples of extraordinary

This breach is an extraordinary emotional drag on the exhausted population.
In One Corner of Syria, Christmas Spirit Somehow Manages to Survive
Peter Schwartzstein
December 25, 2014
And yet our country has redefined citizenship in some extraordinary ways since its inception.
The Progressive Case Against Birthright Citizenship
Keli Goff
December 15, 2014
This is an extraordinary recording that deserves to be much better known.
The Best Albums of 2014
Ted Gioia
December 13, 2014
“It is extraordinary that in one week of contemporary art auctions almost $2 billion worth of art was sold,” he says.
William, Kate, and Jay Z’s Favorite Art Star: Alexander Gilkes' World of Rock Stars and Royalty
Tim Teeman
December 10, 2014
The history of horrors in the North Caucasus is so extraordinary and so long as to seem almost otherworldly.
Where Chechens Go to Escape Their Surreal Past—and Risky Present
Anna Nemtsova
December 9, 2014

Historical Examples of extraordinary

I regard her as, on the whole, the most extraordinary person of her race I have ever met.
Harriet, The Moses of Her People
Sarah H. Bradford
This was the most extraordinary person with whom he had ever talked.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
No reason is given for this extraordinary contempt of living.
The Man Shakespeare
Frank Harris
Possibly because of the extraordinary directions which beauty culture may take.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
More than this, there is about sorrow an intense, an extraordinary reality.
De Profundis
Oscar Wilde

British Dictionary definitions for extraordinary

extraordinary

adjective

very unusual, remarkable, or surprising
not in an established manner, course, or order
employed for particular events or purposes
(usually postpositive) (of an official, etc) additional or subordinate to the usual onea minister extraordinary

Derived Formsextraordinarily, adverbextraordinariness, noun

Word Origin for extraordinary

C15: from Latin extraordinārius beyond what is usual; see ordinary

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for extraordinary

adj.

early 15c., from Latin extraordinarius "out of the common order," from extra ordinem "out of order," especially the usual order, from extra "out" (see extra-) + ordinem (nominative ordo) "order" (see order). Related: Extraordinarily.