exceptional

[ik-sep-shuh-nl]

See more synonyms for exceptional on Thesaurus.com

adjective

forming an exception or rare instance; unusual; extraordinary: The warm weather was exceptional for January.
unusually excellent; superior: an exceptional violinist.
Education. (of a child)
1. being intellectually gifted.
2. being physically or especially mentally disabled to an extent that special schooling is required.

Origin of exceptional

First recorded in 1840–50; exception + -al¹

Related formsex·cep·tion·al·i·ty, nounex·cep·tion·al·ly, adverbex·cep·tion·al·ness, nounnon·ex·cep·tion·al, adjectivenon·ex·cep·tion·al·ly, adverbpre·ex·cep·tion·al, adjectivepre·ex·cep·tion·al·ly, adverbqua·si-ex·cep·tion·al, adjectivequa·si-ex·cep·tion·al·ly, adverbsu·per·ex·cep·tion·al, adjectivesu·per·ex·cep·tion·al·ly, adverb

Can be confusedexceptionable exceptional

Synonyms

See more synonyms for exceptional on Thesaurus.com

1. uncommon, singular, strange, unnatural, aberrant, anomalous. See irregular.

Antonyms

2. average.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for exceptionally

Contemporary Examples

The news only got out to a few people in the building, who described the next day at work as exceptionally awkward.
Hagel Takes a Bullet for Obama: Inside the Defense Secretary’s Sudden Firing
Shane Harris, Tim Mak
November 24, 2014
The Habsburg army, however, Watson contends, were exceptionally bloodthirsty.
How WWI Produced the Holocaust
J.P. O’Malley
November 21, 2014
An exceptionally large first run of 200,000 copies was reportedly printed in Germany for the same reason.
Hollande's Jilted Lover Valerie Trierweiler Tells All
Tracy McNicoll
September 3, 2014
Chinese officials were much more concerned about internal issues in an exceptionally diverse empire.
We're Still Fighting the Opium Wars
William O’Connor
August 28, 2014
His family memoir, Sweet and Low, is a tour de force of reporting and memory—tender, curious, and exceptionally funny.
The Stacks: How Leonard Chess Helped Make Muddy Waters
Alex Belth
August 2, 2014

Historical Examples

This pleased Paula exceptionally well and she said he must sing it to her often again.
Moni the Goat-Boy
Johanna Spyri
At the place where this was noticed, however, the current was not exceptionally swift.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace
Exceptionally one finds old men of 80 who are still capable.
The Sexual Question
August Forel
"Exceptionally beautiful; exceptionally admirable," he corrected.
The Lion's Skin
Rafael Sabatini
One that is exceptionally rich in oxygen, as is true of all the spheres we handle.
The Planetoid of Peril
Paul Ernst

British Dictionary definitions for exceptionally

exceptional

adjective

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

Derived Formsexceptionally, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for exceptionally

exceptional

1846, from exception + -al (1). Related: exceptionally.

exceptional

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}exceptional

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples from the Web for exceptionally

Contemporary Examples

The news only got out to a few people in the building, who described the next day at work as exceptionally awkward.

The Habsburg army, however, Watson contends, were exceptionally bloodthirsty.

An exceptionally large first run of 200,000 copies was reportedly printed in Germany for the same reason.

Chinese officials were much more concerned about internal issues in an exceptionally diverse empire.

His family memoir, Sweet and Low, is a tour de force of reporting and memory—tender, curious, and exceptionally funny.

Historical Examples

This pleased Paula exceptionally well and she said he must sing it to her often again.

At the place where this was noticed, however, the current was not exceptionally swift.

Exceptionally one finds old men of 80 who are still capable.

"Exceptionally beautiful; exceptionally admirable," he corrected.

One that is exceptionally rich in oxygen, as is true of all the spheres we handle.

exceptional

Word Origin and History for exceptionally

exceptional

Origin of exceptional