ovanlig

Ovanlig is a Swedish adjective meaning not common or unusual. It describes something that deviates from what is typical, expected, or encountered frequently in a given context. The term is used across everyday language and more formal registers to label events, objects, behaviors, or phenomena that are out of the ordinary. The opposite term is vanlig, meaning common or usual. An adverb form is ovanligt, as in Det är ovanligt som händer, and the phrase ovanligt mycket can describe an unusual amount of something.

Etymology and forms: Ovanlig is formed from vanlig (common) with the negating prefix o-, which is used in Swedish to create negations of adjectives. The word can combine with nouns to form phrases such as ovanlig händelse (an unusual event) or ovanliga fall (unusual cases). In some contexts, especially scientific or formal writing, the nuance centers on rarity, atypicality, or deviation from established patterns. The related noun is ovanlighet, referring to the quality or state of being unusual or rare.

Usage and nuance: Ovanlig is most often used to describe phenomena that are not typical for a particular time, place, or category. It can refer to frequency (rare occurrences), character (uncharacteristic behavior), or quality (uncommon features). While it broadly means unusual, speakers may choose synonyms like sällsynt, ovanlighet, or osedvanlig in more precise or stylistic contexts.

See also: vanlig, sällsynt, ovanlighet, osannolik, normalt.