straordinaria

Straordinaria is the feminine singular form of the Italian adjective straordinario, meaning extraordinary, exceptional, or remarkable. The word derives from Latin extraordinarius, literally beyond the ordinary. In Italian, adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun: masculine sing. straordinario, feminine sing. straordinaria; plural forms are straordinari and straordinarie.

The term is used in everyday language to denote something that stands outside the usual or expected range. It can describe people (una persona straordinaria), events (un evento straordinario), performances, or results (un risultato straordinario). It is frequently paired with nouns like misure, condizioni, risultati, eventi, or circostanze. Phrases include misure straordinarie (extraordinary measures), condizioni straordinarie (extraordinary conditions), and una scena/una prestazione straordinaria.

In public or legal contexts, straordinaria can modify phrases such as sessione straordinaria (an extraordinary session of a legislative body) or azioni straordinarie, indicating actions or deliberations outside the ordinary timetable. The nuance is generally positive but can be neutral or context-dependent, especially in administrative or governmental language.

Cross-linguistically, straordinaria is cognate with Spanish extraordinario, Portuguese extraordinário, French extraordinaire, and English extraordinary, all sharing the same Latin root.