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
-
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.
And yet — when done properly — it is extraordinary.
From Salon
"The American story is filled with innovation and ingenuity, perseverance and prejudice. Tensions that have fuelled some of the most extraordinary artistic achievements in history."
From BBC
"Australia is going to support them according to migration law - it's not anything which is extraordinary," she told the BBC during the halftime break.
From BBC
As self-inflicted wounds go, this was extraordinary even for Spurs, a club that specialises in them.
From BBC
The band called the record “. . .an immediate response to current events and inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom.”
From Salon
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.
