hors concours
Americanadjective
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noting an artist, architect, or the like, not competing or not qualified to compete for the prizes in an exhibit or competition.
-
noting or pertaining to a work or project submitted by such a person to an exhibit or competition.
adjective
-
(of an artist, exhibitor, etc) excluded from competing
-
without equal; unrivalled
Etymology
Origin of hors concours
Literally, “out (of the) competition”
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.
In 1889, the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges was awarded a Gold Medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition after first winning it in 1876 for a straight bridges type with a detent escapement in a plain gold case, before taking home the highest distinction in 1901 when it was declared “hors concours”, its quality deemed beyond compare.
From Forbes
Don't you see we're hors concours—in a class by ourselves?
From Project Gutenberg
The result was actually the top 13, since No. 1 was declared hors concours and there were two ties.
From Time Magazine Archive
A few artists, such as Picasso and De Kooning, were by their own request hors concours.
From Time Magazine Archive
If it had been at Earl's Court, they would have marked me Hors Concours, and set me to judge the other exhibits!
From Project Gutenberg
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.
