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
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.
Paying 6.5% interest rate on a mortgage seems exorbitant compared to the sub-2% rate I can get as a Singaporean back home.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
All of which would usher in . . . exorbitant peacetime tolls to transit Hormuz, the Iranians say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Rizzo was later sentenced to 12 years in state prison for dipping into city coffers to pay employees, including himself, exorbitant salaries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Top British stars including Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr are targeting world records at the event at London Stadium on 18 July, but some fans say tickets are "exorbitant".
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Walking down River Street, they stopped at every window and planned exorbitant purchases when they made their first million dollars.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
