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

Solomon says the meeting wasn’t anything out of the ordinary: “That group has gone over to the Treasury to talk about cybersecurity risks over a number of years,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

"It represents togetherness and something a little out of the ordinary," she said in a video released by NASA.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

The number of cases seen in the area is not out of the ordinary for such outbreaks, which have been occurring reasonably frequently since late 2023.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

She didn’t think it was out of the ordinary, given the fire had just been contained a few hours earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025

Nothing out of the ordinary, I remind myself.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir