unusual
adjective
un·usu·al
ˌən-ˈyü-zhə-wəl 
-zhəl;
-ˈyüzh-wəl
: not usual: as
a
: not normal or typical
It's unusual for him to work this late.
b
: different or strange in a way that attracts attention
an unusual design
d
: extraordinary sense 1, remarkable
a scholar of unusual ability
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
And in an unusual move, Rubio has used her ballot measure committee to pay a nearly $4,000 monthly salary to a campaign worker.
—
Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
While not unusual for the CEO of a very large American corporation, Abel’s paycheck is a striking departure from Buffett’s annual salary of $100,000 (plus another $300K or so for personal and home security services provided by Berkshire.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
The early return marks an unusual but controlled move by NASA, timed to minimize disruption to space station operations.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
As a younger man, Bowie had explored the end with unusual wisdom, albeit from the safe remove of a fictional proxy.
—Armin Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Unusual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unusual. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
unusual
adjective
un·usu·al
ˌən-ˈyüzh-(ə-)wəl
-ˈyü-zhəl
unusually
adverb
-ē
unusualness
noun
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