uncommon

adjective

un·​com·​mon ˌən-ˈkä-mən 

1

: not ordinarily encountered : unusual

an uncommon plant

2

: remarkable, exceptional

a soldier of uncommon courage

uncommonly adverb

uncommonness

ˌən-ˈkä-mən-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• aberrant
• aberrated
• abnormal
• anomalous
• atypical
• especial
• exceeding
• exceptional
• extraordinaire
• extraordinary
• freak
• odd
• peculiar
• phenomenal
• preternatural
• rare
• singular
• uncustomary
• unique
• unusual
• unwonted

Choose the Right Synonym for uncommon

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant.

infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

Examples of uncommon in a Sentence

It is not uncommon for people to become depressed after they retire.

an athlete with uncommon ability

a soldier of uncommon courage

She is an uncommon woman.

Recent Examples on the Web

Go Go Gadget Robot Arm Robots with object-gripping arms aren’t uncommon at CES. —Andrew Gebhart, PCMAG, 5 Jan. 2025

While hurtful and untrue, his comments are unfortunately not an uncommon opinion of Baltimore City — many people believe the city is a mess beyond repair. —Zoe Hiller, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2025

Tunnels during that era of the Stockyards were not uncommon. —Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2025

Performing in major parades is not uncommon for Lincoln-Way, with the band taking part in the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in 2021. —Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

uncommon

adjective

un·​com·​mon ˌən-ˈkäm-ən 

ˈən-

1

: not ordinarily found or experienced : unusual

not uncommon to catch a cold

2

: extraordinary, remarkable, exceptional

has uncommon ability

uncommonly adverb

uncommonness

-ən-nəs 

noun