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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

out of the ordinary

“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

Human soldiers have easily foiled AI systems by doing what is "out of the ordinary", like somersaulting or putting cardboard boxes over their heads, external, he adds.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 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

Implying that Platner’s behavior was nothing out of the ordinary in marital life, she went on, “No marriage is perfect, and I don’t want a perfect marriage.”

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

None of this, our doctor said, was out of the ordinary, or even all that terrible in isolation.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama