Unusual

Definition: Unusual

Unusual

Adjective

1. Not usual or common or ordinary; "a scene of unusual beauty"; "a man of unusual ability"; "cruel and unusual punishment"; "an unusual meteorite".

2. Being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird; "a strange exaltation that was indefinable"; "a strange fantastical mind"; "what a strange sense of humor she has".

3. Not commonly encountered; "two-career families are no longer unusual".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "unusual" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Synonym: Unusual

Desuetude

Unusual; (unconformable); nonobservant; disused.

Unconformity

Unusual, unaccustomed, uncustomary, unwonted, uncommon; rare, curious, odd, extraordinary, out of the ordinary; strange, monstrous; wonderful; unexpected, unaccountable; outre, out of the way, remarkable, noteworthy; queer, quaint, nondescript, none such, sui generis; unfashionable; fantastic, grotesque, bizarre; outlandish, exotic, tombe des nues, preternatural; denaturalized.

Crosswords: Unusual

German (ungewoehnlich).

I call it cruel and unusual. (Mission: Impossible; writing credit: Bruce Geller; David Koepp)

When they handed you to her, you smiled at her. The doctors said it was unusual because newborns never smile when they are born (Signs; writing credit: M. Night Shyamalan)

Rodents Of Unusual Size (The Princess Bride; writing credit: William Goldman)

I'm dedicating this unusual song to an unusual person who makes me feel kind of unusual (Pump Up the Volume; writing credit: Allan Moyle)

In Europe, it's not considered unusual for three or four men to share a bed. (Anger Management; writing credit: David Dorfman)

If you should ever want to be loved by anyone, It's not unusual (It's Not Unusual; performing artist: Tom Jones)

It's not unusual, to be sad with anyone (It's Not Unusual; performing artist: Tom Jones)

Unusual Requests (1968)

No. 3 Unusual Occupations L-1-3 (1942)

Unusual Occupations (1941)

Sport Thrills: Unusual Hunting (1938)

Unusual Occupations (1938)

It's Not Unusual (performing artist: Tom Jones)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Armadillos and Other Unusual Animals (reference)

• Not Your Mother's Cookbook: Unusual Recipes for the Adventurous Cook (reference)

• Alma Mater: Unusual Stories and Little-Known Facts from America's College Campuses (reference)

• Unique & Unusual Pens: From the Wood Lathe (Schiffer Book for Woodturners) (reference)

• A Simplified Guide to Bhs: Critical Apparatus, Masora, Accents, Unusual Letters & Other Markings (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Cruel and Unusual (reference)

• Cruel & Unusual Punishment (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Milton Katims & Collegues: Three Unusual Trios (reference)

• Cool & Unusual (reference)

• She's So Unusual [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [EXTRA TRACKS] (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

In the 1950's, an Irish surgeon Denis Burkitt identified a jaw cancer in Ugandan children as an unusual form of malignancy as cancer tumors, now known as Burkitt's Lymphoma. Burkitt discovered that this cancer existed in Africa in hot, humid regions plagued by mosquitoes that spread malaria and viruses. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist.

Follow-up observations of an unusual object initially suspected to be the first directly ... Credit: NASA.

A nearly perfect ring of hot, blue stars pinwheels about the yellow nucleus of an unusual ... Credit: NASA.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has revealed an unusual and fascinating new optical jet in the ... Credit: NASA.

Astronomers have stumbled on an unusual asteroid hunting ground: the thousands of Hubble ... Credit: NASA.

Mariner 9 image of the "Inca City". During the Mariner 9 mission, scientists found an unusual rectilinear structure associatedwith the south polar pitted terrain which they dubbed the "Inca City". Located near-80 degrees latitude and 64 degrees longitude, it is likely the result of wind deflationof deposits from underlying rough terrain. The "cells" in the image are about 4-5kilometers in width. Credit: NASA.

Unusual number of islets to chart. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Unusual specimen of cushion starfish, Culcita novaeguineae, more flattened than usual. Credit: The Coral Kingdom.

A North Pacific extratropical cyclone as seen from TIROS VIII, pass 764/762, camera I, frame 13. The easternmost cloud band suggests frontal clouds, the center band with transverse elements appears to be associated with the jet stream, while the westernmost thin band is highly unusual. Picture of the Month , "Monthly Weather Review," May 1964. Credit: NOAA in Space.

Seeds of the world's most unusual lettuces are safeguarded in an ARS gene bank at Salinas, California. P. Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Patrick Tregenza..

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. (reference)

Amendment VIII. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

This is an unusual form of question

There Javert rendered himself in various ways, and, let us say, although the word seems unusual for such service, honourably, useful

The Governor and his family are served and attended by domestics of a kind somewhat unusual.

But I can assure my readers that Walden has a reasonably tight bottom at a not unreasonable, though at an unusual, depth

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Her age was unusual, however. (references)

Unusual rashes, bruises, or bleeding. (references)

Unusual vaginal discharge or itching. (references)

Business

This is unusual since many foreign HCPs serve primarily Western patient populations. (references)

In smaller enterprises it is not unusual to find these three posts held by the same person. (references)

The key seems to be to provide quality food in a pleasant, unusual atmosphere and at a reasonable price. (references)

Civil Liberties

Cuba

It is highly unusual for police to impose house arrest in a domestic dispute. (references)

Dominican Republic

Citizens face no unusual legal restrictions on travel within or outside the country. (references)

Russia

In February the Chief Rabbi of Moscow--a foreign citizen--experienced unusual delays and warnings before his routine visa renewal. (references)

Economic History

Venezuela

Absent unusual circumstances, commission agents are not considered employees. (references)

France

The current popularity of theme restaurants demonstrates consumer preference for a pleasant, slightly unusual, restaurant atmosphere. (references)

Chile

Although 60 percent of the population lives outside Santiago, Chile's unusual geography makes it difficult to cover other population centers. (references)

Human Rights

Botswana

Detention without bail is highly unusual, except in murder cases, where it is mandated. (references)

Egypt

In an unusual step, in September the Ministry of Interior issued a detailed written response to the HRCAP report rebutting the claims. (references)

Iraq

For some years, the Special Rapporteur has expressed concern about cruel and unusual punishments prescribed by the law, including amputations and brandings. (references)

Political Economy

OMAN

Visa denials are not unusual for unaccompanied women tourists and young adult males. (references)

THAILAND

Though legally recognized, collective bargaining is unusual in Thailand, and industry-wide collective bargaining is all but unknown. (references)

Trade

Uruguay

No unusual documents are required to import merchandise. (references)

Travel

Philippines

Light entertainment is not unusual. (references)

New Zealand

There is nothing unusual about the New Zealand market in the context of pricing strategy. (references)

Pakistan

Travelers to Pakistan should check with their physician or the local office of the U.S. Public Health Service for information on any unusual circumstances that might necessitate additional protection. (references)

Women

Nicaragua

Corinto is unusual in that prostitutes receive medical examinations and a card certifying their health if they are free of disease. (references)

Bahrain

Although local religious courts may grant a divorce to Shi'a women in routine cases, occasionally Shi'a women seeking divorce under unusual circumstances must travel abroad to seek a higher ranking opinion than that available in the country. (references)

Worker Rights

Luxembourg

Premium pay is required for overtime or unusual hours. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "unusual": be unusual ♦ cruel and unusual punishment ♦ freedom from cruel and unusual punishment ♦ that's unusual for him ♦ unusual conditions ♦ unusual person ♦ unusual spelling ♦ use in an unusual way. Additional references.

Beginning with "unusual": unusual-looking, unusual-sounding.

Ending with "unusual": then-unusual.

Albanian

i mrekullueshëm (divine, dreamy, elegant, excellent, fabulous, goluptious, goodly, gorgeous, heavenly, killing, magnificent, marvellous, marvelous, miraculous, nailing, nifty, peachy, prodigious, rare, ravishing, remarkable, slapping, spanking, striking, superior, transcendent, wonderful, wondrous), i jashtëzakonshëm (egregious, emergency, exceeding, exceptional, exceptive, exclusive, extraordinary, heroic, inconceivable, incredible, marvellous, marvelous, phenomenal, powerful, prodigious, sole, stupendous, terrible, thumping, transcendent, transcendental, uncommon, unthinkable, wonderful), i habitshëm (amazing, astonishing, fabulous, incredible, marvellous, marvelous, oddish, portentous, strange, striking, wonderful), i çuditshëm (bizarre, cranky, curious, dark, eccentric, electric, erratic, extraordinary, fanciful, fantastic, fantastical, frabjous, freak, freakish, funny, grotesque, kinky, odd, oddish, off beat, outlandish, peculiar, pixilated, puzzling, quaint, queer, quizzical, rummy, strange, surprising, uncanny, unco, unnatural, viewy, way out, weird, whimsical). (various references)

Arabic 

‏فذ (alone, incomparable, individual, matchless, nonesuch, peerless, single, singular, unequaled, unexampled, unique, unmatched, unparalleled, unrivaled), ‏نادر (anecdotic, close, exceptional, exceptive, few and far between, infrequent, out of the ordinary, phenomenal, rare, recherche, scarce, tight, uncommon), ‏غير عادي (off beat, prodigious, remarkable, uncommon, unorthodox), ‏خارق (miraculous, supernatural), ‏إستثنائي (especial, exceptional, exceptive, extraneous, extraordinary, freak, freaked, mighty, out of the ordinary, particular, phenomenal, premium, prodigious, rare, remarkable, singular, special, terrific, thundering, uncommon). (various references)

Bulgarian 

необичаен (abnormal, bastard, exceeding, out, out of the ordinary, out of the way, outlandish, rare, special, unaccustomed, uncanny, unconventional, uncouth, uncustomary, unwonted), необикновен (devilish, different, distinct, exceptional, extraordinary, extreme, freak, freakish, novel, out, out of the ordinary, out of the way, phenomenal, portentous, quaint, remarkable, singular, special, unaccustomed, unaverage, uncommon, unconventional, unheard of, weird), забележителен (eminent, extraordinary, incredible, memorable, notable, noteworthy, proud, remarkable, salient, signal, some, thumping, unco, unique, wonderful), изключителен (especial, exceptional, exceptive, exclusive, extraordinary, inimitable, one in a thousand, phenomenal, rare, rousing, signal, super, superior, surpassing, unaverage, uncommon, unexampled, unique, vintage). (various references)

Chinese 

非常 (exceptional, extraordinary, extreme, very), 特殊 (extraordinary, particular, special), 特別 (especially, particular, special), 特 (extraordinary, male animal, special), 異 (different, strange), 神 (divine essence, God, lively, mysterious, soul, spirit, spiritual being), 异常 (Anomalous, Bizarre, Deviant, Eccentric, Eccentrical), 不平常 (remarkable, remarkably). (various references)

Czech

výjimeèný (anomalous, exceptionable, exceptional, rare, special, uncommon), nezvyklý (strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, unwonted), neobyèejný (extraordinary, phenomenal, rare, singular, special, spectacular, strange, uncommon), neobvyklý (anomalous, atypical, intriguing, off beat, out of the way, uncommon, uncustomary, undue, unfamiliar, unnatural), kuriózní (curious, quaint). (various references)

Danish

usaedvanlig haendelse (unusual occurrence), ubebygget parcel (gap between buildings, gap site, unusual building plot, vacant site), ubebygget jordlod (gap between buildings, gap site, unusual building plot, vacant site), pludselig tilbagevenden af usaedvanlige fysiske fornemmelser og synsindtryk (spontaneous recurrence of unusual somatic and visual sensations). (various references)

Dutch

ongewoon (unordinary). (various references)

Esperanto

nekutima. (various references)

Farsi 

مخالف عادت , غیرمعمول (Uncommon), غیرعادی (Abnormal, Anomalous, Extraordinary, Irregular, Prodigious, Queer, Unco, Uncommon, Unwonted, Utter), غریب (Curious, Eccentric, Extravagant, Immigrant, Lonely, Nostalgic, Romantic, Singular, Stranger, Uncanny, Unco, Unheard, Unmoral, Weird, Whimsical, Wonder). (various references)

Finnish

tavaton (exceptional, extraordinary, uncommon, unheard-of), outo (odd, peculiar, strange, unfamiliar), harvinainen (infrequent, rare, uncommon), epätavallinen (uncommon). (various references)

French

insolite (unwontedly), inhabituel (unaccustomed, unfamiliar, unused, unwonted). (various references)

German

ungewohnt (strange, unaccustomed, unaccustomedly, unfamiliar, unused, unwonted), ungewöhnlich (anomalous, freak, inconvenient, off beat, uncommon, uncommonly, unique, unnaturally, unseasonably, ununsual, unwontedly), ungebräuchlich (uncommon), unüblich (unusable). (various references)

Greek 

ασυνήθιστοσ (off beat, unaccustomed, unacquainted, uncommon, unused, unwonted), ασυνήθιστος (extraordinary, offbeat, out of the ordinary), ασυνήθησ (abnormal, extraordinary, odd, singular, uncommon, unconventional, unfamiliar, unwonted). (various references)

Hebrew 

יוצא מן הכלל (exception, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, particular), יוצא מגדר הרגיל (out of the ordinary), יוצא דופן (eccentric, erratic, exceptional, exotic, extraordinary, irregular, maverick, signal, singular), אי רגיל, נדיר (infrequent, rare, scarce, uncommon). (various references)

Hungarian

szokatlan (new, odd, offbeat, out of the common, out of the ordinary, particular, strange, unaccustomed, uncustomary, unfamiliar, unwonted), rendkívüli (exceptional, exceptive, exquisite, extra, extra special, extraordinary, extreme, out of the ordinary, out of this world, outstanding, phenomenal, portentous, singular, steep, stupendous, supernormal, tiptop, uncommon, unwonted). (various references)

Indonesian

aneh (abnormal, irregular, mysterious, odd, oddly, peculiar, queer, strange, unnatural). (various references)

Italian

inconsueto (outlandish, unwontedly). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

珍しい (rare). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ただならぬ (alarming, incomparable, serious), ひじょう (callous, emergency, extraordinary, heartless, inanimate nature), ひといちばい (more than others, redoubled), かたやぶり (unconventional), かわった (another, different, novel, particular, peculiar, various), いすう (exceptional, phenomenal), いつにない, めずらしい (rare), みょう (command, dark, decree, destiny, life, strange), へんてつ. (various references)

Korean 

특별한 (Especial, Extraordinary, Particular, special). (various references)

Pig Latin

usualunay.(various references)

Portuguese

raro (close, exquisite, infrequent, out-and-out, rare, rose, scant, scanty, scarce, seldom, sparse, sporadic, tight, uncommon, unique, unwonted), não usual, invulgar (exceptional, extraordinary, fancy, heavy, king-size, rare, singular, strange, stunning, thundering, transcendent, unco, uncommon, unique, unknown, unwonted), inusitado (unused), incomun, incomum (freakish, prodigious, uncommon), extraordinário (amazing, exquisite, extra, extraordinary, formidable, king-size, miraculous, particular, phenomenal, prodigious, rare, remarkable, sensational, shining, singular, special, sublime, surpassing, transcendent, tremendous, uncommon, unwonted), excepcional (exceptional, exceptive, excessive, extra, extraordinary, king-size, over, rare, remarkable, singular, special, superior, uncommon), desusado (hunker, uncommon, unwonted, worm-eaten). (various references)

Romanian

sucit (distorted, twisted, uncommon, unnatural, whimsical, wrongheaded, wry), remarcabil (considerable, conspicuous, distinguished, eminent, notable, notably, noteworthy, observable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, remarkably, salient, uncommon), rar (choice, exceptional, far between, infrequent, lank, lanky, occasionally, rare, scanty, scarce, scattered, seldom, slowly, sparse, thin, thinly, uncommon), neuzitat, neobişnuit (different, exceptional, extraordinary, fresh, novel, odd, out, out of the way, particular, portentous, remarkable, singular, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, unused, unwonted), insolit (unprecedented, unwonted), heteroclit, deosebit (apart, choice, different, differently, dissimilar, distinct, distinguished, divergent, diverse, especial, excellent, extra, in a class by itself, particular, peculiar, peculiarly, profoundly, remarkable, separate, singular, special, specific, strange, sundry, uncommon, unlike, variant, varied), ciudat (cranky, curious, droll, eccentric, extraordinary, extravagant, fanciful, fancy, freakish, funny, intriguing, kinky, odd, out of the way, outlandish, particular, peculiar, peculiarly, quaint, queer, rum, rummy, singular, strange, strangely, uncouth, weird, whimsical). (various references)

Russian 

редкий (far between, far-between, infrequent, occasional, out of print, rare, scarce, sparse, thin, uncommon), неурочный, необычный необычно, необычный (exceptional, extraordinary, king size, left-field, odd, off-beat, one-of-a-kind, out of the ordinary, out of the way, paradoxical, quaint, queer, superordinary, unaccustomed, uncommon, unnatural, unorthodox), необычайный (monumental). (various references)

Scottish

tearc (few, rare, scarce), neònach (amusing, droll, eccentric, odd, surprising), annasach (strange). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

neuobičajen (off beat, offbeat, ordinary: out of the ordinary, unaccustomed, unconventional, uncustomary), naročit (particular, peculiar, special), apartan. (various references)

Spanish

raro (curious, Dandy, definite, dignified, dingy, droll, exotic, extraordinary, extravagant, few and far between, frothy, funny, ichneumon, infrequent, lead, odd, oddball, oddish, odds-on, outlandishness, peculiar, queerish, quirky, rare, rum, scarce, singular, strange, uncanny, vintage, weird). (various references)

Swedish

ovanlig (be exceptional, exceptional, extraordinary, fancy, freakish, infrequent, off beat, offbeat, out of the way, rare, singular), osedvanlig. (various references)

Turkish

tuhaf (antic, bizarre, comical, cranky, curious, droll, erratic, flaky, funnily, funny, funny peculiar, laughable, odd, offbeat, peculiar, peregrine, queer, quizzical, rum, rummy, screwball, screwy, singular, splay, strange, twee, unaccustomed, uncouth, weird, whimsical), olağandışı (abnormal, extraordinary, offbeat, out of the common, out of the ordinary, out of the way, preternatural, singular, uncommon, unwonted), nadir (exceptional, few and far between, infrequent, rare, scarce, uncommon, unwonted), ender (exceptional, rare), alışılmadık (eccentric, off the beaten track, unconventional), acayip (antic, bizarre, bughouse, comical, comically, crotchety, curious, droll, exotic, fanciful, fantastic, fantastical, flaky, freak, freakish, grotesque, incongruous, kinky, kooky, novel, odd, out of the way, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, queer, quirky, quizzical, rum, rummy, screwball, singular, some, splendiferous, strange, uncanny, unco, weird). (various references)

Turkmen 

seяrek (rare, seldom), del (strange). (various references)

Ukrainian

незвичайний (extraordinary, king size, non-conventional, offbeat, original, out of the way, outlandish, portentous, transcendental, unaccustomed, uncommon, unique), надзвичайний (abysmal, dense, dreadful, egregious, exceeding, exceptional, extreme, prodigious, snorting, uncommon, water, woundy). (various references)

Vietnamese 

không thường dùng, không thường, không thông thường (uncommon). (various references)

Welsh

anarferol (extraordinary). (various references)

insolita, nova, novae, novam, novarum, novas, novi, novis, novissima, novissimae, novissimam, novissimas, novissimi, novissimis, novissimo, novissimorum, novissimos, novissimum, novissimus, novo, novorum, novos, novum, novus. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "unusual": unusually, unusualness, unusualnesses. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Unusual" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Unakul, unsual, unusal, unusaul, Uwusa. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-2 letters: luaus, lunas, ulans, ulnas, unaus, usual.

-3 letters: anus, luau, luna, saul, sulu, ulan, ulna, ulus, unau.

-4 letters: als, las, nus, sal, sau, sun, ulu, uns.

-5 letters: al, an, as, la, na, nu, un, us.

+2 letters: unusually.

+3 letters: ranunculus.

+4 letters: unusualness.

+5 letters: ranunculuses.