Extraordinary

How to spell extraordinary

13 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce extraordinary

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does extraordinary mean?

1. adjectiveVery unusual or remarkable; far beyond what is ordinary.

Extraordinary in a sentence

• The surgeon showed extraordinary skill during the long operation.

• The company reported extraordinary profits this quarter.

Where does extraordinary come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin extraordinarius, which was built from the phrase extra ordinem, meaning literally 'outside the normal order' or 'beyond the usual arrangement'. The element extra meant 'outside' or 'beyond', while ordo (with stem ordin-) meant 'order, rank, or regular sequence', the same root that gives us 'order', 'ordinary', and 'ordinal'. In Roman usage the term described things done outside the regular routine, such as taxes or troops levied beyond the standard arrangement, and so it came to mean anything out of the common run. English adopted it in the early 1400s, partly through French, with the sense of 'unusual' and later 'remarkable or exceptional'. The spelling trap is hidden in plain sight: the word is simply 'extra' joined to 'ordinary', so remembering that you are spelling out the full 'ordinary' inside it keeps the tricky middle from collapsing.

How the word is built

• extra- (outside, beyond)
• ordin (order, from Latin ordo, ordinem)
• -ary (adjective suffix: relating to)