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extraordinaire
[ eks-tra-awr-dee-ner ]
adjective
- extraordinary; uncommon; remarkable.
Example Sentences
Next came Jimi Hendrix, a guitarist extraordinaire who overdosed on barbiturates in 1970.
Marea Stamper, aka DJ extraordinaire The Blessed Madonna, is cramming her belongings into well-worn suitcases, ahead of a forthcoming Australian tour.
At first, the other parents considered me a soccer extraordinaire and wanted to hear stories, but after several years, I’ve become a normal parent.
The CPR dummies were the work of “The Office’s” prop master extraordinaire, the late Phil Shea, who experimented with the real material of a CPR dummy and found it could work well.
Jazz guitarist extraordinaire John Pisano, renowned for his solid rhythm, melodic solo lines and generosity, died May 2 at his home in Studio City with his wife Jeanne by his side.
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More About Extraordinaire
What does extraordinaire mean?
Extraordinaire is an adjective that means “outstanding” or “remarkable.” It is always used after the noun it describes, as in a writer extraordinaire.
Extraordinaire is most commonly used to describe a person with exceptional talent. Unlike most English adjectives, extraordinaire is used postpositively, meaning it must immediately follow the noun that it describes.
Example: My grandmother makes the most delicious dishes, and my whole family considers her a chef extraordinaire.
Where does extraordinaire come from?
Extraordinaire, a French word meaning “extraordinary,” is first recorded in the English language around the 1940s. The prefix extra- means “beyond.” The root word ordinary means “normal.” The suffix -aire is typically used to indicate a person characterized by the root word that precedes it—in this case, an extraordinary person. You’ve seen this suffix elsewhere, most commonly in millionaire and billionaire.
For this reason, it could be easy to mistake extraordinaire for a noun, especially because it is always used after the noun or person it describes. For example, a great gymnast could be described as an extraordinary gymnast or a gymnast extraordinaire. Although both phrases have the same meaning, extraordinaire follows the noun. The unusual placement of extraordinaire stems from its French origin. As one of the Romance languages, French calls for adjectives to follow nouns. (The same thing goes for Spanish and Italian.)
Because of how unique extraordinaire is, it is not frequently used. Calling something extraordinary is much more common.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for extraordinaire?
What are some words that share a root or word element with extraordinaire?
What are some words that often get used in discussing extraordinaire?
What are some words extraordinaire may be commonly confused with?
How is extraordinaire used in real life?
Extraordinaire isn’t a word you use every day. Unless you’re really emphasizing a person’s exceptional abilities, it may sound a bit silly.
Hailing from the humble Twin City Sekondi-Takoradi, beat maker and rapper extraordinaire Levit8 is a force to be reckoned with.With a taste for the 808s, snares, hi-hats, synths and dominating yet groovy bass lines, Levit8 has been dubbed as the https://t.co/rG5X2BoXTA pic.twitter.com/rGz8ceCwAe
— KALYJAY D) BA (@kalyjaydoba) December 31, 2019
Cover Reveal!! This, my first full length novel, has been graced with a layer of grandeur by this gorgeous wraparound cover design. Much thanks, again, to @JournalStone and to artist extraordinaire Mikio Murakami!
Coming 7/26/19: DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYEhttps://t.co/RRA82MjGXr pic.twitter.com/EED4ReOSUe
— Eric J. Guignard (@ericjguignard) May 21, 2019
For more than 50 years, Mike Myers has been an avid supporter of @TarletonState. He is a distinguished alumnus, hall of fame athlete and philanthropist extraordinaire. Today, we had the honor of presenting him with an honorary doctorate degree. pic.twitter.com/InNq2NQpH2
— Dr. James Hurley (@TarletonPrez) August 9, 2019
Try using extraordinaire!
Is extraordinaire used correctly in the following sentence?
His music was extraordinaire.
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