What does extraordinarily mean?
"Extraordinarily" is an adverb meaning to an exceptional or remarkable degree — beyond what is ordinary, usual, or expected. It functions chiefly as an intensifier, strengthening adjectives and adverbs: an extraordinarily talented singer is not merely good but strikingly, unusually gifted. A second, less common sense describes doing something in a manner that is itself out of the ordinary, as in behaving extraordinarily under pressure. The word derives from Latin roots meaning "beyond order," via Old French into English alongside its parent adjective "extraordinary." It carries a positive or admiring connotation in most contexts — we praise people, performances, and sights as extraordinary — though it can describe strangeness neutrally. Register is flexible: it appears equally in journalism, literature, and everyday conversation across British and American English. Stronger than "very" yet more restrained than "incredibly," it is a precise, versatile tool for expressing that something truly stands apart from the norm.
To a very unusual or remarkable degree; exceptionally.
"The orchestra performed extraordinarily well on short notice."
Almost always precedes the word it modifies.
In a manner that deviates from what is normal or expected.
"She dressed quite extraordinarily for the formal dinner."
Less common than the intensifying sense.
Its Latin root literally means 'beyond order' — when you call something extraordinary, you're saying it breaks the usual arrangement of things.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of extraordinarily
"Extraordinarily" derives from "extraordinary," which entered English in the late 15th century from Latin extraordinarius, formed from extra ("beyond, outside") + ordinarius ("ordinary," from ordo, "order"). The Latin term originally described something outside the ordinary course or arrangement — such as extra troops or officials appointed beyond the regular establishment. English formed the adverb by adding the native -ly suffix, following the pattern of other Latinate adjectives.
Related word forms
How extraordinarily is actually used
Standard in both formal and informal registers and common in both British and American English. As an intensifier it is stronger than 'very' but generally less hyperbolic than 'incredibly' or 'unbelievably', lending it a slightly measured, even literary tone. It is nearly always placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb phrase it modifies.
Easily confused with extraordinarily
'Extremely' simply means very; 'extraordinarily' adds the nuance that something is so great it stands outside the ordinary range.