extraordinary
adjectivenouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ɪksˈtɹɔːrdɪn(ə)ɹi//
- United Kingdom//ˌɛkstɹəˈɔːɹdɪn(ə)ɹi//
- //ɪks.tɹɑːˈɔː.dɪn.nə.ɹiː//
Out of the ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
adjective
- 1
Out of the ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
Except in extraordinary circumstances, […]
Everybody knew I was an extraordinary person. When I was born my beard was three feet long.
The Houses may meet in extraordinary sessions at the request of the Government, of the Permanent Deputation or of the overall majority of members of either of the two Houses. Extraordinary sessions must be convened with a specific agenda and shall be adjourned once this has been dealt with.
Tony Woodcock's early try and a penalty from fourth-choice fly-half Stephen Donald were enough to see the All Blacks home in an extraordinary match that defied all pre-match predictions.
- 2
Remarkably good.
an extraordinary poet
- 3
Special or supernumerary.
the physician extraordinary in a royal household
an extraordinary professor in a German university
Etymology
From Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem (“outside the order”). By surface analysis, extra- + ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire.
noun
- 1
Anything that goes beyond what is ordinary.
[…] the sum that will probably be wanted for each head of service during the year: it is divided into the ordinary, and the extraordinaries.
Forms
- plural
- extraordinaries
- comparative
- more extraordinary
- superlative
- most extraordinary
extraordinary · Out of the ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
extraterrestrial · Originating from outside of the Earth's atmosphere, from…extravagant · Exceeding the bounds of something; roving; hence, foreign.extreme · Of a place, the most remote, farthest or outermost.