of a kind
Idioms-
Of some sort, but not a typical or perfect specimen. For example, They have a backyard of a kind, but it's tiny . This usage was first recorded in 1895. For a synonym, see of sorts .
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one of a kind . A unique instance, as in There are no others like it; this hybrid daylily is one of a kind , or She's extremely generous, one of a kind . Also see two of a kind .
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.
Their study suggests Mount Etna may have formed through a rare volcanic process unlike the one behind any other large volcano on Earth, making it potentially one of a kind.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
Ahmed: It wasn’t so much out of a kind of frustration or a desire to create work for myself or break out of a pigeonhole or anything like that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Shanice's family described her as "truly one of a kind" and said she had the "biggest heart and the kind of energy you could never forget".
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
It’s also such a perfect construction of a kind of “The law is me” regime.
From Slate ● May 26, 2026
It’s unparalleled, without equal, incomparable, nonpareil, unrivaled, one of a kind.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
