nietypowym

Nietypowym is a form of the Polish adjective nietypowy, which means unusual, atypical, or not typical. It functions as a descriptive word that agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies. The form nietypowym is used for masculine and neuter nouns in the instrumental singular, and also as the masculine/neuter singular form in the locative case after certain prepositions. The feminine forms are different (nietypowa, nietypową, nietypowej, etc.).

Etymology and scope. The word nietypowy is built from nie- (negation) and typowy (typical), yielding a straightforward negation of typical characteristics. As a common synonym in Polish for “unusual” or “non-standard,” it appears across formal and informal registers, including journalism, science, and everyday speech.

Usage notes. Nietypowym describes objects, behaviors, or situations that deviate from the norm. It can appear in sentences such as: To nietypowy przypadek. (This is an unusual/exceptional case.) Nietypowe zachowanie (unusual behavior) illustrates the neuter noun form with the base in the short, non-inflected variant. After prepositions that govern the instrumental or locative case, the form changes accordingly, for example: z nietypowym podejściem do problemu (with an unusual approach to the problem) and o nietypowym zachowaniu (about unusual behavior).

Related terms. The antonym is typowy (typical). Other related expressions include nietypowa sytuacja (an unusual situation) and nietypowe rozwiązanie (an unconventional solution). The term is versatile and commonly used to characterize deviations from standard patterns in various domains.

See also. nietypowy; typowy.