exceptionalism

American  

[ik-sep-shuh-nl-iz-uhm] / ɪkˈsɛp ʃə nlˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the condition of being exceptional; uniqueness.

2. the study of the unique and exceptional.

3. a theory that a nation, region, or political system is exceptional and does not conform to the norm.

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exceptionalism British  

/ ɪkˈsɛpʃənəlɪzəm /

noun

1. an attitude to other countries, cultures, etc based on the idea of being quite distinct from, and often superior to, them in vital ways

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Etymology

Origin of exceptionalism

First recorded in 1925–30; exceptional ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exceptionalism

The author calls this “American exemplarism,” the foreign-policy twin of exceptionalism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

"There's this thing called Mancunian exceptionalism, which is 'we're the best city in the world and everyone else can do one.'"

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

The important question, the analysts wrote, is whether U.S. exceptionalism is going to return in the next few months.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 13, 2026

The Air Force general represents an entirely different philosophy that has, it must be said, always existed in American life and must be acknowledged in any discussion of American exceptionalism: outright nihilism.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026

I propose to take our countrymen’s claims of American exceptionalism seriously, which is to say I propose subjecting our country to an exceptional moral standard.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates