extraordinários

Extraordinários is the plural form of the Portuguese adjective extraordinário, meaning exceptional or outside the ordinary. The word derives from Latin extra ordinarius, literally "outside the order." In everyday language, extraordinários is used with nouns: pessoas extraordinárias for extraordinary people, eventos extraordinários for extraordinary events, and horas extraordinárias for overtime. When used as a noun phrase, it can refer to people who are remarkable or to groups described by that label.

In religious contexts, the term appears in Catholic liturgy as Ministros Extraordinários da Sagrada Comunhão, lay persons authorized to distribute Communion when ordained ministers are not available.

In legal or governmental language, phrases such as poderes extraordinários or medidas extraordinárias are common to designate exceptional authorities or actions taken in exceptional circumstances.

Because of gender agreement, the feminine plural extraordinárias and masculine plural extraordinários are used depending on the noun they modify, and the accent on the á is retained in the plural. The word is widely used across Portuguese-speaking countries, with minimal variation in meaning, though regional preferences for formal versus colloquial registers may apply. For example, ela mostrou habilidades extraordinárias durante o projeto; o governo aprovou medidas extraordinárias para lidar com a crise; os Ministros Extraordinários da Sagrada Comunhão atuaram na missa.