Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Extraordinary has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
Anything that goes beyond what is ordinary.
"The magician's performance was truly extraordinary, as he made a live elephant disappear from the stage right before our eyes."
In plain English: An extraordinary person is someone who does amazing things that are very rare and impressive.
"He made an extraordinary effort to finish the project on time despite being sick."
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
"extraordinary authority"
"an extraordinary achievement"
"her extraordinary beauty"
"enjoyed extraordinary popularity"
"an extraordinary capacity for work"
"an extraordinary session of the legislature"
far more than usual or expected
"an extraordinary desire for approval"
"it was an over-the-top experience"
(of an official) serving an unusual or special function in addition to those of the regular officials
"an ambassador extraordinary"
Not ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
"The extraordinary skills of the young violinist captivated the entire audience at the concert."
In plain English: Extraordinary means something that is amazing, unusual, and far better than what you normally expect to see.
"The magician performed an extraordinary trick that left everyone in awe."
Usage: Use extraordinary to describe something so remarkable it exceeds the normal range, rather than simply meaning very good or interesting. This word often confuses speakers who expect a positive tone when they actually mean merely "unusual" in a neutral sense.
The word comes from the Latin phrase extrā ōrdinem, meaning "outside the order." It is also related to the modern English word "ordinary" through the prefix "extra-".