extraordinary

[ ik-strawr-dn-er-ee, ek-struh-awr- ]
See synonyms for: extraordinaryextraordinarilyextraordinariness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established: extraordinary costs.

  2. exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable: extraordinary speed;an extraordinary man.

  1. (of an official, employee, etc.) outside of or additional to the ordinary staff; having a special, often temporary task or responsibility: minister extraordinary and plenipotentiary.

Origin of extraordinary

1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English extraordinarie, from Latin extrāordinārius “beyond ordinary,” equivalent to extra- + ordinary

Other words for extraordinary

Opposites for extraordinary

Other words from extraordinary

  • ex·traor·di·nar·i·ly [ik-strawr-dn-air-uh-lee, ek-struh-awr-], /ɪkˌstrɔr dnˈɛər ə li, ˌɛk strəˌɔr-/, adverb
  • ex·traor·di·nar·i·ness, noun
  • un·ex·traor·di·nar·y, adjective

Words Nearby extraordinary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use extraordinary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for extraordinary

extraordinary

/ (ɪkˈstrɔːdənrɪ, -dənərɪ) /


adjective
  1. very unusual, remarkable, or surprising

  2. not in an established manner, course, or order

  1. employed for particular events or purposes

  2. (usually postpositive) (of an official, etc) additional or subordinate to the usual one: a minister extraordinary

Origin of extraordinary

1
C15: from Latin extraordinārius beyond what is usual; see ordinary

Derived forms of extraordinary

  • extraordinarily, adverb
  • extraordinariness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012