extraordinary

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

adjective

1. beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established.

   extraordinary costs.

   Synonyms: inordinate
   Antonyms: usual, common

2. exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable.

   extraordinary speed;

   an extraordinary man.

   Synonyms: signal, special, phenomenal, rare, singular, uncommon
   Antonyms: usual, common

3. (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.

extraordinary

/ ɪkˈstrɔːdənrɪ, -dənərɪ /

adjective

1. very unusual, remarkable, or surprising

2. not in an established manner, course, or order

3. employed for particular events or purposes

4. (usually postpositive) (of an official, etc) additional or subordinate to the usual one

   a minister extraordinary

Other Word Forms

• extraordinarily adverb
• extraordinariness noun
• unextraordinary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of extraordinary¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English extraordinarie, from Latin extrāordinārius “beyond ordinary,” equivalent to extra- + ordinary

Word History and Origins

Origin of extraordinary¹

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

Example Sentences

Here my gratitude to Heaney matches my thanks to his editors and his family, who have hatched this extraordinary book.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This extraordinary man of parts was a novelist, nature writer, editor, environmentalist, political activist, outdoorsman and Zen master.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Starting November 24, we are taking the extraordinary step of proactively removing the ability for users under 18 in the U.S. to engage in open-ended chats with AI on our platform.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His claim says the department took the extraordinary step of requiring its own detectives to obtain a court order to get access to certain body camera footage.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Nobel Committee, when announcing the recipient of the prize at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, hailed Machado as "one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• amazing 
• bizarre 
• curious 
• exceptional 
• fantastic 
• incredible 
• marvelous 
• odd 
• outstanding 
• particular 
• phenomenal 
• rare 
• remarkable 
• singular 
• special 
• strange 
• surprising 
• terrific 
• uncommon 
• unheard-of