exceptional
Americanadjective
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forming an exception or rare instance; unusual; extraordinary.
The warm weather was exceptional for January.
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unusually excellent; superior.
an exceptional violinist.
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Education. (of a child)
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being intellectually gifted.
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being physically or especially mentally disabled to an extent that special schooling is required.
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adjective
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forming an exception; not ordinary
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having much more than average intelligence, ability, or skill
Synonym Usage
See irregular.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exceptional
Explanation
Generally, exceptional is a compliment––"the concert was exceptional" means it was better than what could have been expected. But it can also just mean unusual. "Maria gets to skip gym, but hers is an exceptional case." Exceptional begins with the Latin prefix ex- 'out,' because something exceptional stands out in some way. In certain cases, exceptional can mean under-performing. Children with special educational needs are sometimes referred to in this way, as exceptional or special.
Vocabulary lists containing exceptional
Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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Between the World and Me
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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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.
In Champagne, producer Claude Mandois reported harvesting three-quarters of an average yield in terms of volume although "in terms of quality visually and in terms of taste we had an exceptional harvest."
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Researchers led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California have now developed a method designed to measure these seasonal shifts with exceptional precision.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Howell and Sloyan are quite wonderful in these moments, and Howell is exceptional throughout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
"He was exceptional," said UK Space Agency former chief scientist Chris Lee who worked on Beagle 2 with Pillinger.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
A society, almost necessarily, begins every success story with the chapter that most advantages itself, and in America, these precipitating chapters are almost always rendered as the singular action of exceptional individuals.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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.
