exorbitant
Americanadjective
-
exceeding the bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, especially in amount or extent; highly excessive.
to charge an exorbitant price; exorbitant luxury.
-
Archaic. outside the authority of the law.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- exorbitance noun
- exorbitantly adverb
- unexorbitant adjective
- unexorbitantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of exorbitant
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin exorbitant- (stem of exorbitāns, present participle of exorbitāre to go out of the track), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + orbit ( a ) wheel track ( see orbit) + -ant- -ant
Explanation
Use the adjective exorbitant when you want to describe something that is really just too much! You'll often hear people griping about exorbitant bank fees or exorbitant interest rates. The adjective exorbitant was originally a legal term to describe a case that was outside the bounds of the law. It comes from the Latin roots — the prefix ex, meaning "out of," and orbita, meaning "wheel track." You can see how the word now has come to be described as something that has gone way off the beaten track, especially in terms of price and value.
Vocabulary lists containing exorbitant
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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.
The public is already familiar with the exorbitant capital spending of the world’s largest tech companies as they race to build up their AI capabilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Afterward, Lam embarked on “what only can be described as an outrageous and exorbitant spending spree,” Stratton said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
Just as things start looking up, Amanda’s car is stolen, left in an illegal spot and towed, and the towing company slaps her with an exorbitant $21,000 bill for circumstances entirely out of her control.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
But many Venezuelans say they have yet to see the results on exorbitant prices for basic goods like food and medicine.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
“Few farmers dare come into town. They charge exorbitant prices for their wares, and get whatever they ask,” he said bitterly.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
