unusual

adjective

un·​usu·​al ˌən-ˈyü-zhə-wəl How to pronounce unusual (audio)
-zhəl;
-ˈyüzh-wəl
: not usual : uncommon, rare
unusually adverb
unusualness noun

Examples of unusual in a Sentence

It's not unusual for him to stay late at work. a scene of unusual beauty She has an unusual name.
Recent Examples on the Web Other unusual ingredients in later challenges included pork brains in gravy, musk sticks, moon snails and his least favorite — beef bile. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Big changes ahead The program works in an unusual way, by using the client’s house as collateral for a loan. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 In 2021, Augustin also played a key role in launching Atlantic Records in Berlin as a label focused on German hip-hop – an unusual joint role in recorded music for a publishing executive. Robert Levine, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 Although her parents had conventionally middle-class occupations—her mother was a school bursar, her father a businessman—her dad had the kind of unusual background that makes a writer salivate. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 An unusual legal challenge may upend the future of a Chicago ballot measure that would hike a real estate tax on high-end property sales to fund services for homeless people. Sophia Tareen, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 And researchers have observed all sorts of unusual things at zoos: Flamingos gathered in a circle around their babies to protect them. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 This, in and of itself, isn’t that unusual: Bad cocktails get forgotten all the time. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2024 An unusual feature of this keyboard is an LCD menu screen which can be navigated using a tiny five-way joystick next to it. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unusual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unusual was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near unusual

Cite this Entry

“Unusual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unusual. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unusual

adjective
un·​usu·​al ˌən-ˈyüzh-(ə-)wəl How to pronounce unusual (audio)
-ˈyü-zhəl
: not usual : uncommon, rare
unusually
adverb
unusualness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unusual

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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