extraordinary

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled extra-ordinary

US /ɪks.tɹɑːˈɔː.dɪn.nə.ɹiː/ UK /ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/ See IPA manual

Freq #2643

Meanings

1

adj
Very unusual or surprising; not ordinary.

They went to extraordinary lengths to keep the plan a secret.
2

adj
Remarkably good or impressive.

She has an extraordinary talent for languages.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

exceptionalextraordinatenoteworthy outstanding unparalleled

Opposites

everyday normal ordinary regular usual

Word family

Forms extraordinaries

Derived forms eggstraordinaryextraordinarily extraordinarinessextraordinaritysuperextraordinaryunextraordinary

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

extraordinary circumstance
an unusual situation that falls outside what would normally be expected

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

Simplified etymology

Extraordinary entered English in late Middle English from Latin extra ordinem, meaning “outside the normal course of events.” In the 17th and 18th centuries it could also mean “additional” or “extra,” a use from which extra developed as a shortened form.

Etymology

From Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem (“outside the order”). By surface analysis, extra- + ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire.

extrāōrdinārius Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# extraordinary

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪks.tɹɑːˈɔː.dɪn.nə.ɹiː/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 2643

## Meanings
1. Very unusual or surprising; not ordinary.
2. Remarkably good or impressive.

## Examples
- They went to extraordinary lengths to keep the plan a secret.
- She has an extraordinary talent for languages.

## Synonyms
- exceptional
- extraordinate
- noteworthy
- outstanding
- unparalleled

## Antonyms
- everyday
- normal
- ordinary
- regular
- usual

## Derived Forms
- eggstraordinary
- extraordinarily
- extraordinariness
- extraordinarity
- superextraordinary
- unextraordinary

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: extrāōrdinārius

## Etymology
From Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem (“outside the order”). By surface analysis, extra- + ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire.

## AI Etymology
Extraordinary comes from Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem (“outside the order”). By surface analysis, extra- + ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire. In current use, the main senses are “Very unusual or surprising; not ordinary” and “Remarkably good or impressive”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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