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

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

Infantino, however, argued that such decisions are not out of the ordinary, claiming similar rulings are "routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide".

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The decline was "out of the ordinary," geographer and report coordinator Ane Alencar told reporters.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

It was two or three minutes before we noticed anything out of the ordinary.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides