extraordinaire

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French extraordinaire. Doublet of extraordinary.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪkˌstɹɔː(ɹ).dɪˈnɛː(ɹ)/

Adjective

extraordinaire (not comparable)

1. (postpositive) Extraordinary, remarkable, outstanding.
2. (postpositive) (of a person) Particularly skilled; unusually active; particularly successful.

   He was a dancer extraordinaire.

   Charlie Parker, saxophonist extraordinaire, released many records.

Usage notes

• When used after a plural noun, the adjective is occasionally pluralized as extraordinaires like in French, so that (for example) both dancers extraordinaire and dancers extraordinaires can be found.

Noun

extraordinaire (uncountable)

1. Something particularly remarkable or outstanding.
   • 2012, Lonely Planet, Nicola Williams, Kerry Christiani, Lonely Planet Switzerland

     "The very best of Swiss dining in this essentially rural country is as much about experience as culinary extraordinaire."

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin extraordinārius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛk.stʁa.ɔʁ.di.nɛʁ/, /ɛk.stʁɔʁ.di.nɛʁ/

• audio

  (file)

Adjective

extraordinaire (plural extraordinaires)

1. extraordinary, out of the ordinary

   Antonym: ordinaire

Further reading

• “extraordinaire” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).