# extraordinary

Pronunciation: US say "ik-STROR-duh-nair-ee" /ɪkˈstɹɔɹdəˌnɛɹi/; UK say "ik-STROR-di-nuh-ree" /ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/

## Adjective

1. Very different from the ordinary; so unusual or exceptional that it stands out.
   - Simple: Very different from what is normal, or unusual and surprising.
   - _She has an extraordinary talent for languages, picking up new ones in weeks._
   - _The rescue required extraordinary courage from everyone involved._
2. Remarkably good, to a degree that far surpasses what is typical or expected.
   - Simple: Very, very good in a way that impresses people.
   - _Critics praised the novel as an extraordinary achievement in modern fiction._
   - _The wine had an extraordinary depth of flavor._
3. Employed for a special purpose or in addition to the regular staff or schedule, as in certain official titles and meetings.
   - Simple: Added beyond the normal number, or held for a special purpose.
   - _Shareholders convened an extraordinary general meeting to approve the merger._
   - _The committee held an extraordinary session outside its normal schedule._

## Noun

4. Something that goes beyond what is ordinary; the remarkable or exceptional considered as a category in itself.
   - Simple: Something that goes far beyond what is normal.
   - _Her photography finds the extraordinary in everyday street scenes._
   - _He was always chasing the extraordinary, restless with anything routine._

## Origin

From Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem ("outside the order"). By surface analysis it breaks down into extra- plus ordinary, and it is a doublet of extraordinaire.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/extraordinary (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).