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
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
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 impact of the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already led governments to take exceptional measures, like the Philippines which has declared a national energy emergency, Maynier noted.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
With improved precision, phonon lasers could become powerful tools for measuring gravity and other forces with exceptional accuracy.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
“Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes,” the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
The former host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks Mark Lamarr has been banned from driving despite claiming it would cause him "exceptional hardship".
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
"All mothers think their children are beautiful. Rosalie was an exceptional child, they said, but she was the lovingest person that ever was."
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
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.
