uncommon

[ uhn-kom-uhn ]

adjective

, un·com·mon·er, un·com·mon·est.

1. not common; unusual; rare:

   an uncommon word.

   Synonyms: queer, peculiar, strange, singular, odd, infrequent, scarce

2. unusual in amount or degree; above the ordinary:

   an uncommon amount of mail.

   Synonyms: extraordinary

3. exceptional; remarkable.

   Synonyms: outstanding

uncommon

/ ʌnˈkɒmən /

adjective

1. outside or beyond normal experience, conditions, etc; unusual
2. in excess of what is normal

   an uncommon liking for honey

adverb

1. an archaic word for uncommonly

Derived Forms

• unˈcommonness, noun

Other Words From

• un·common·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of uncommon¹

First recorded in 1540–50; un- ¹ + common

Example Sentences

Although uncommon, bananaphobia can be triggered by seeing or smelling the fruit and can cause serious symptoms like anxiety and nausea.

From BBC

With her hands thrust firmly in her pockets, Auty describes how it was “not uncommon at all” to see prison staff in Bronzefield dealing.

From BBC

The episode — which was released on November 12 — kicked off with a discussion on how deeply they love and care for their dogs — in which Harper shared, "I grew up during a time when it was very uncommon for queer people to have kids," noting that that's not really the case anymore.

From Salon

And then, in general, career-wise, I have this thing that is probably not uncommon for actors to have, but every job that I do, I finish it and I’m like, “All right, it was nice while it lasted,” you know?

From Los Angeles Times

“This is a fairly uncommon event just due to the size and lower visibility of the dust storm,” she said, noting that the Hanford office’s senior forecaster issued his first career dust storm warning for several counties.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abnormal
• bizarre
• egregious
• exceptional
• extraordinary
• infrequent
• noteworthy
• odd
• peculiar
• rare
• remarkable
• singular
• startling
• strange
• surprising
• unique
• unusual