Synonyms

exceptional

American

[ik-sep-shuh-nl] / ɪkˈsɛp ʃə nl /

adjective

forming an exception or rare instance; unusual; extraordinary.

The warm weather was exceptional for January.

Synonyms:

anomalous, aberrant, unnatural, strange, singular, uncommon
unusually excellent; superior.

an exceptional violinist.

Antonyms:

ordinary, average
Education. (of a child)
1. being intellectually gifted.
2. being physically or especially mentally disabled to an extent that special schooling is required.

exceptional British

/ ɪkˈsɛpʃənəl /

adjective

forming an exception; not ordinary
having much more than average intelligence, ability, or skill

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See irregular.

Other Word Forms

exceptionality noun
exceptionally adverb
exceptionalness noun
nonexceptional adjective
preexceptional adjective
quasi-exceptional adjective
superexceptional adjective

Etymology

Origin of exceptional

First recorded in 1840–50; exception + -al ¹

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.

"The effort that he's put in over these three games has been exceptional," said captain Ben Stokes.

From BBC

Iger called Ayaz “an exceptional leader” in an emailed statement and said he “ensures we are managing our brand effectively around the world.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"This demonstrates both the system's exceptional sensitivity and its ability to provide reliable tumor-versus-healthy contrast. Moreover, by adjusting or substituting the targeting molecule, this method could be adapted for other cancer types."

From Science Daily

They thanked the public for their "overwhelming support" and praised medical staff for their "exceptional" care and dedication.

From BBC

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS said teaching assistants were "absolutely vital" and the party wanted to see them "properly recognised and valued for their exceptional work."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023