Prefix · outside / beyond / additional
Signals outside of, beyond, or in an additional degree: extraordinary, extraterrestrial, extracurricular.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Extra- comes from Latin "extra" (outside of, beyond, above) and signals that something is outside the norm or goes beyond expected limits: extraordinary = outside the ordinary; extraterrestrial = outside the Earth; extracurricular = outside the official curriculum; extravagant = going beyond the limits of reasonable spending. The core idea is always "outside of" or "beyond."
In formal and technical English, extra- is a learned prefix that changes a word's meaning: extraordinary, extracurricular, extrasensory. In modern informal English, "extra" is also used as a slang adverb meaning "excessively": "She was being extra dramatic" = She was being excessively dramatic. This colloquial use has no hyphen.
Attaches to adjectives and nouns. Identical in Spanish and English:
Pronunciation: /ˈekstrə/. Identical in Spanish and English. In informal speech, "extra" alone is used as an intensifier: "She was extra tired" = She was extremely tired.
extra-/ˈekstrə/
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"Extraordinary" can describe both positive things (an extraordinary achievement) and negative or neutral things (an extraordinary amount of damage). It does not necessarily mean good — it means significantly beyond the normal standard.
"Extravagant" originally means "wandering outside normal limits." Yes, it applies to excessive spending (extravagant expenditure), but also to exaggerated styles (extravagant fashion), disproportionate gestures (extravagant compliments), and unrealistic claims (extravagant promises).
A trick to remember it
Extra- = "outside of" or "beyond": extraordinary = outside the ordinary, extraterrestrial = outside the Earth, extracurricular = outside the curriculum, extravagant = outside reasonable limits. Identical in Spanish and English. Fun fact: "extra" alone in informal English means "excessively" (as an intensifier).
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The film depicts first contact with an ___ civilization that has been observing Earth for centuries."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the literal meaning of "extravagant"?
The prefix extra- signals outside of, beyond, or in an additional degree: extraordinary, extraterrestrial, extracurricular. In Spanish it usually maps to extra-.
The prefix extra- is pronounced /ˈekstrə/. For example, "extraordinary".
"ordinary" becomes "extraordinary". It is a typical example of the extra- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.