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

And I didn’t realize we had to justify or defend this, or that it was anything out of the ordinary.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

Temperatures will peak around 22C in southern England on Sunday - nothing out of the ordinary for the time of year.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Cash gifts of more than $1,000 are not out of the ordinary for Weiss to give close family or friends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Is there something out of the ordinary that you requested in your prenup?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

It's just that inviting Ollie for dinner, even if she likes him, is a step out of the ordinary, and that always makes her worry.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

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