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

• unusual
• extraordinary
• exceptional
• unique
• rare
• abnormal
• odd

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

This isn’t uncommon, as Mookie Betts continues to book Airbnbs during the series in Milwaukee because of the haunting stories about the hotel. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025

Such alerts are relatively uncommon for Los Angeles. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025

The play, by Jordan Ramirez Puckett, follows a mother-son cross-country road trip peppered with the teen’s hip-hop music as a brown son and his white mother seek common ground in their uncommon pasts. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025

Communal bathhouses are not uncommon in the city—the Russian & Turkish Baths, in the East Village, is nearly 135 years old. —Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for uncommon

• aman
• brahman
• brahmin
• common
• lawman

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