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unusual

Etymology and origin of the English word unusual

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1579
Ultimate origin
English (un-,usual)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English usual
English unusual

Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ʌnˈjuː.ʒəl/, /ʌnˈjuː.ʒu.əl/, US /ʌnˈjuː.ʒu.əl/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + usual.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not usual, uncommon: 1579 in MWU, 1582 in the OED, the 1580s in Etymonline.[3][4][2]

Semantic evolution

The OED notes that it came into common use from about 1600.[4] Unusualness is from the 1570s and unusuality from 1799.[2][4]

Timeline

  • 1579 – first known use.[3]
  • 1582 – uncommon.[4]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Not usual or common; rare.
  2. Remarkable or interesting because different.

Word family

  • unusually
  • unusualness
  • unusuality

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Unusual.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/unusual. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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