extracurricular

adjective

ex·​tra·​cur·​ric·​u·​lar ˌek-strə-kə-ˈri-kyə-lər 

1

: not falling within the scope of a regular curriculum

specifically : of or relating to officially or semiofficially approved and usually organized student activities (such as athletics) connected with school and usually carrying no academic credit

extracurricular sports

2

a

: lying outside one's regular duties or routine

b

: extramarital

extracurricular noun

Synonyms

• adulterate
• adulterine
• adulterous
• extramarital
• two-timing

Examples of extracurricular in a Sentence

hired a private detective to investigate her husband's extracurricular activities

Recent Examples on the Web

Even younger kids can feel pressured to follow a certain path or pursue a certain extracurricular activity. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 20 Mar. 2025

In February, a warning from a South Texas school district that agents at checkpoints might board school buses carrying schoolchildren to extracurricular activities panicked parents in the region. —Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2025

No extracurricular activities, except one daily 45-minute session of qigong, a Chinese breath, movement and meditation practice, and two short check-ins with a teacher over the course of the retreat. —Kate Siber, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025

Select an Activity That’s a Good Fit for Your Child Dr. Kaiser says the point of participating in extracurricular activities at a young age is to accrue experience with a diverse range of activities. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for extracurricular

• periarticular
• supraclavicular
• acicular
• articular
• curricular
• cuticular
• funicular
• lenticular
• navicular
• particular
• radicular
• reticular

Kids Definition

extracurricular

adjective

ex·​tra·​cur·​ric·​u·​lar ˌek-strə-kə-ˈrik-yə-lər 

: of or relating to those activities (as athletics) that are offered by a school but are not part of the course of study