out of the ordinary

Idioms  

1. Unusual, uncommon, exceptional, as in The venison they served was certainly out of the ordinary. This expression sometimes, but not always, indicates that something is better than the usual. However, the negative version, nothing out of the ordinary, usually indicates that something is not special or outstanding, as in It was an interesting lecture, but nothing out of the ordinary.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

out of the ordinary

Still, Farley is clear about the long-term vision: making Ford the “Porsche of off-road” and getting the company out of the ordinary and into the “iconic vehicle” business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

“In content writing and digital marketing, a phone is not out of the ordinary, because those roles are based on remote tools,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

In a statement, a representative of “60 Minutes” said that the exchanges with Pelley regarding editorial content were not out of the ordinary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

On the football pitch, of course, he did things that were truly out of the ordinary.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

Nothing out of the ordinary, I remind myself.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir