extraordinary
Americanadjective
-
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
-
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 one
a minister extraordinary
Other Word Forms
- extraordinarily adverb
- extraordinariness noun
- unextraordinary adjective
Etymology
Origin of extraordinary
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English extraordinarie, from Latin extrāordinārius “beyond ordinary,” equivalent to extra- + ordinary
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.
I think the movie’s fantastic, but what I got out of it personally, it was extraordinary.
From Los Angeles Times
What an extraordinary few days it has been for UK-US relations, with three developments each pointing in a different direction.
From BBC
The finding suggests either an extraordinary stroke of luck or that massive impacts may happen more often during planet formation than scientists previously believed.
From Science Daily
The board stated that Paramount’s December 22 offer still included an “extraordinary amount of debt financing.”
From Barron's
The board stated that Paramount’s December 22 offer still included an “extraordinary amount of debt financing.”
From Barron's
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.
