Extraordinaries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Something that is remarkably unusual or exceptional in nature, often surpassing the ordinary or typical in quality or extent
2. Items or individuals that stand out due to their unique or extraordinary characteristics, often setting a higher benchmark
3. Referring to phenomena or entities distinguished by their rarity or remarkable attributes, frequently regarded as noteworthy or significant

Etymology: "Extraordinaries" is simply the plural of "extraordinary," so its story is the story of the adjective. The root is Latin "extrā ōrdinem," meaning "outside the order" or "outside the usual arrangement," from "extrā" (outside) and "ōrdō" (row, rank, order). The Latin adjective "extrāōrdinārius" was built from that phrase, and English took the idea over with its sense intact: something that sits outside the ranks of what is normal. The original sense was not one of praise. Something outside the ordinary was simply unusual, and that could be good or bad. The positive sense of exceptional excellence grew out of this neutral one over time, and the noun form "extraordinaries," meaning unusually special things, follows the same path, naming a set of things that have stepped beyond the usual rank.

Synonyms: remarkables, phenomena