exorbitant
Americanadjective
-
exceeding the bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, especially in amount or extent; highly excessive.
to charge an exorbitant price; exorbitant luxury.
-
Archaic. outside the authority of the law.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of exorbitant
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin exorbitant- (stem of exorbitāns, present participle of exorbitāre to go out of the track), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + orbit ( a ) wheel track ( see orbit) + -ant- -ant
Explanation
Use the adjective exorbitant when you want to describe something that is really just too much! You'll often hear people griping about exorbitant bank fees or exorbitant interest rates. The adjective exorbitant was originally a legal term to describe a case that was outside the bounds of the law. It comes from the Latin roots — the prefix ex, meaning "out of," and orbita, meaning "wheel track." You can see how the word now has come to be described as something that has gone way off the beaten track, especially in terms of price and value.
Vocabulary lists containing exorbitant
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Exorbitant living costs, in combination with a struggling farming industry, have left workers such as Mancera and Martinez worried about the future.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2023
Exorbitant rent payments can delay them from getting started on saving for retirement.
From Washington Post • May 13, 2022
Exorbitant prices allow most families to buy only a few days’ worth of food every month, Maestre says.
From Science Magazine • Mar. 9, 2022
Exorbitant urban-housing prices and accelerating competition for white-collar jobs have left many young people feeling that the “China Dream” is out of reach.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2021
Exorbitant prices were extorted for tents "which were valueless"; these tents, it appeared, were made from cheap or old "farmers'" drill, regarded by the trade as "truck."
From Great Fortunes from Railroads by Myers, Gustavus
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
