UNUSUAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does unusual mean? 

• UNUSUAL (adjective)
  The adjective UNUSUAL has 3 senses:

1. not usual or common or ordinary

2. being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

3. not commonly encountered

  Familiarity information: UNUSUAL used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNUSUAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not usual or common or ordinary

Context example:

an unusual meteorite

Similar:

different (differing from all others; not ordinary)

extraordinary ((of an official) serving an unusual or special function in addition to those of the regular officials)

odd (not easily explained)

out-of-the-way; out of the ordinary; out of the way (exceptional, unusual, or remarkable)

peculiar (markedly different from the usual)

unaccustomed (unusual or unfamiliar)

unique (highly unusual or rare but not the single instance)

Also:

uncommon (not common or ordinarily encountered; unusually great in amount or remarkable in character or kind)

Attribute:

usualness (commonness by virtue of not being unusual)

Antonym:

usual (occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure)

Derivation:

unusualness (uncommonness by virtue of being unusual)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

Synonyms:

strange; unusual

Context example:

what a strange sense of humor she has

Similar:

weird (strikingly odd or unusual)

quaint (very strange or unusual; odd or even incongruous in character or appearance)

quaint (strange in an interesting or pleasing way)

other (very unusual; different in character or quality from the normal or expected)

oddish (somewhat strange)

gothic (characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque)

freaky (strange and somewhat frightening)

exotic (strikingly strange or unusual)

eerie; eery (inspiring a feeling of fear; strange and frightening)

curious; funny; odd; peculiar; queer; rum; rummy; singular (beyond or deviating from the usual or expected)

crazy (bizarre or fantastic)

antic; fantastic; fantastical; grotesque (ludicrously odd)

Derivation:

unusualness (uncommonness by virtue of being unusual)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Not commonly encountered

Context example:

two-career families are no longer unusual

Similar:

uncommon (not common or ordinarily encountered; unusually great in amount or remarkable in character or kind)

Derivation:

unusualness (uncommonness by virtue of being unusual)

 Context examples 

This allele, which encodes deoxyhypusine synthase protein, is involved in the biosynthesis of hypusine, an unusual amino acid found only in eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A.

(DHPS wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

It was true, it was an unusual kiss.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

An unusual colorectal carcinoma characterized by the presence of glandular and squamous carcinomatous components.

(Colorectal Adenosquamous Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

But surely the most valuable hunting-ground that ever was given to a student of the unusual!

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

An unusual—to me—a perfectly new character I suspected was yours: I desired to search it deeper and know it better.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

An unusual, well differentiated adenocarcinoma that arises from the gallbladder.

(Gallbladder Adenocarcinoma, Gastric Foveolar Type, NCI Thesaurus)

The receptor is a transmembrane protein that contains three extracellular Ig-like domains, an unusual acidic region, and an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain.

(Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1, NCI Thesaurus)

An unusual colon carcinoma characterized by the presence of glandular and squamous carcinomatous components.

(Colon Adenosquamous Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

The tumor may metastasize to unusual sites and late metastasis is common.

(Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

This seems so unusual, considering the presence of Saturn and Pluto, but Neptune will provide the message that only love is important, and it endures.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)