French word

inhabituel

Pronunciation

IPA/inabitɥɛl/

Meaning

  • adjectiveunusual

Example

C'est inhabituel de le voir ici.

It's unusual to see him here.

Illustration for inhabituel (unusual)

More examples

Quelque chose d'inhabituel est arrivé ce matin.

Something unusual happened this morning.

Core concept

Something outside the normal run of events, uncommon without necessarily being strange or alarming.

Common phrases

  • quelque chose d'inhabituel

    something unusual

  • mode de vie inhabituel

    unusual lifestyle

  • aspect inhabituel

    unusual appearance

Similar words

rare: Happening very infrequently or found in very small numbers.
étrange: Different from everyday experience in a strange or unsettling way.

Definition in French

Qui n'est pas habituel; qui est rare ou peu courant dans une situation donnée.

Word origin

Inhabituel is a negative formation from habituel, whose history leads back to Latin habitus and the idea of an established state or way of being.

Usage tips

  • Inhabituel usually sounds milder than bizarre, so it can describe an uncommon situation without suggesting that it is absurd or disturbing.

Other meanings

  • oddadjective
  • exceptionaladjective

Opposites

Related words

  • inhabituellementunusuallyadverb

Word lists with this word