a minor actor in crowd scenes
"The director asked me to stand still and smile for three takes while I played an extra in the busy market scene."
an additional edition of a newspaper (usually to report a crisis)
"The city printed an extra edition of the morning paper to cover the sudden earthquake before the regular news trucks could arrive."
Something additional, such as an item above and beyond the ordinary school curriculum, or added to the usual charge on a bill.
"The teacher assigned extra reading for students who finished their work quickly."
In plain English: An extra is a person hired to appear in a movie or show as a background character without speaking lines.
"The extra cost for the large pizza was surprisingly high."
Usage: Use "extra" as a noun to refer to something added to a standard offering, like a complimentary dessert with a meal or a paid add-on service. It typically functions as a countable item that exceeds what is normally included or expected.
more than is needed, desired, or required
"trying to lose excess weight"
"found some extra change lying on the dresser"
"yet another book on heraldry might be thought redundant"
"skills made redundant by technological advance"
"sleeping in the spare room"
"supernumerary ornamentation"
"it was supererogatory of her to gloat"
"delete superfluous (or unnecessary) words"
"extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts"
"surplus cheese distributed to the needy"
further or added
"called for additional troops"
"need extra help"
"an extra pair of shoes"
Beyond what is due, usual, expected, or necessary; extraneous; additional; supernumerary.
"The detective realized that the bloodstain found in the hallway was extra evidence not linked to the victim's struggle in the bedroom."
In plain English: Extra means something additional that is added on top of what was already there.
"The hotel room was extra spacious compared to the others."
Usage: Use "extra" to describe something that goes beyond what is standard or required, such as an extra charge for services not included in the base price. Do not use it to mean "excellent" or "very," which are common informal errors.
To an extraordinary degree.
"The storm arrived with extra force, tearing off the roof tiles in seconds."
In plain English: Extra means doing something more than what is expected or required.
"She tried extra hard to finish her homework before dinner."
Usage: Use "extra" as an adverb to mean doing something with unusual intensity or to an excessive degree, often implying more than what is normal or required. It frequently modifies verbs like "care," "work," or "pay" to indicate going beyond standard limits.
The word extra is an abbreviation of extraordinary that entered common usage as a shorter alternative to convey something beyond the ordinary. It was first adopted into English during the early twentieth century to describe items or actions exceeding standard limits.