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.
Staff put themselves at exceptional risk because of a lack of suitable personal protective equipment, it added.
From BBC
“She’s an exceptional and incredible human being with a big heart. She told me very beautiful words that motivated me all of last year. Those were words that I needed to hear.”
From Los Angeles Times
"By bringing these two outstanding companies together, Nexstar will be a stronger, more dynamic enterprise—better positioned to deliver exceptional journalism and local programming with enhanced assets, capabilities, and talent," he said.
From BBC
That the statue survived at all is exceptional: in antiquity, bronze was a valuable raw material routinely melted down for weapons, coins or everyday objects.
From Barron's
“By bringing these two outstanding companies together, Nexstar will be a stronger, more dynamic enterprise — better positioned to deliver exceptional journalism and local programming with enhanced assets, capabilities and talent.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
