insólito

Insólito is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe something unusual, extraordinary, or difficult to believe. It can modify events, facts, behavior, or statements and is often employed in journalistic, literary, or formal registers. The feminine form is insólita, the adverb insólitamente, and it can also function as a noun in phrases like un hecho insólito.

Etymology: The term derives from Latin insolitus 'not habitual', from in- 'not' + solitus 'accustomed' (from solere 'to be accustomed'). The accent on the ó in insólito indicates the stress on the second syllable in both Spanish and Portuguese.

Usage notes: In Spanish its use implies a sense of astonishment or incredulity beyond mere rarity. It is relatively strong compared with synonyms such as inusual or singular, though it can be used in neutral descriptive contexts. Common collocations include hecho insólito, circunstancia insólita, paisaje insólito.

In Portuguese it conveys a similar meaning and is common in literature and journalism. While often interchangeable with inusual or extraordinário, insólito can carry a slightly more emphatic tone.

Cross-language notes: Cognates exist in other Romance languages, such as Catalan insòlit, with the same meaning. These forms share the same Latin root insolitus.