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
Researchers who study active shooter incidents say the Brown University shooting is highly unusual, based on decades of data examining similar attacks across the United States.
—
Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Despite the departure of Lane Kiffin that has Ole Miss in an unusual position, there’s little to suggest this meeting with the Green Wave will unfold any differently than the first one.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
The unusual incident began after Sara's husband, Lee, and daughter, Bella, had been cleaning the bottom of their sailing boat.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
Bryant’s ambitions were not unusual among sports figures — plenty of athletes have chased Hollywood after retiring — but the scale and seriousness of his pivot were different.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unusual
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Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Despite the departure of Lane Kiffin that has Ole Miss in an unusual position, there’s little to suggest this meeting with the Green Wave will unfold any differently than the first one.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
The unusual incident began after Sara's husband, Lee, and daughter, Bella, had been cleaning the bottom of their sailing boat.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
Bryant’s ambitions were not unusual among sports figures — plenty of athletes have chased Hollywood after retiring — but the scale and seriousness of his pivot were different.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unusual
Cite this Entry
“Unusual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unusual. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unusual
adjective
un·usu·al
ˌən-ˈyüzh-(ə-)wəl
-ˈyü-zhəl
unusually
adverb
-ē
unusualness
noun
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