uncommon

adjective

un·​com·​mon ˌən-ˈkä-mən 

1

: not ordinarily encountered : unusual

an uncommon plant

2

: remarkable, exceptional

a soldier of uncommon courage

uncommonly adverb

uncommonness

ˌən-ˈkä-mən-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• aberrant
• aberrated
• abnormal
• anomalous
• atypical
• especial
• exceeding
• exceptional
• extraordinaire
• extraordinary
• freak
• odd
• peculiar
• phenomenal
• preternatural
• rare
• singular
• uncustomary
• unique
• unusual
• unwonted

Choose the Right Synonym for uncommon

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant.

infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

Examples of uncommon in a Sentence

It is not uncommon for people to become depressed after they retire.

an athlete with uncommon ability

a soldier of uncommon courage

She is an uncommon woman.

Recent Examples on the Web

During hot weather, these dogs need to be able to cool themselves to survive the heat — death by heat stroke is not uncommon. —Patty Khuly, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

This isn’t uncommon — approximately two out of three Kickstarter campaigns for board games don’t meet their goal, Pichelman said. —Canwen Xu, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024

Issues like credit stealing, lack of recognition, and collaboration challenges aren’t uncommon in the workplace. —Ebony Flake, Essence, 29 Jan. 2024

That’s not uncommon in biographical stories, especially one that explores a tragic figure from his impressionable youth to the section of life where triumph and disaster present themselves, to the restlessness of a demented old age spent in search of both cohesion and absolution. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024

At the time, literacy was uncommon, so the ability to read and write was linked to a higher status, adds Imer. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024

But just continuing production of mezcal produced from uncommon plants has been a challenge. —Tucker Harris, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024

While faults are not uncommon on aircraft, the glitch comes at a difficult time for Boeing. —Courtney McBride, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2024

The Hatcher girls’ entrance into the world is so uncommon that doctors don’t even have another way to identify them. —Emily Nadal, Parents, 17 Jan. 2024

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Word History

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

uncommon

adjective

un·​com·​mon ˌən-ˈkäm-ən 

ˈən-

1

: not ordinarily found or experienced : unusual

not uncommon to catch a cold

2

: extraordinary, remarkable, exceptional

has uncommon ability

uncommonly adverb

uncommonness

-ən-nəs 

noun