exclusive
Americanadjective
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not admitting of something else; incompatible.
mutually exclusive plans of action.
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omitting from consideration or account (often followed byof ).
a profit of ten percent, exclusive of taxes.
- Antonyms:
- inclusive
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limited to the object or objects designated.
exclusive attention to business.
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shutting out all others from a part or share.
an exclusive right to film the novel.
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to patronize only the most exclusive clothing designers.
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charging comparatively high prices; expensive.
exclusive shops.
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noting that in which no others have a share.
exclusive information.
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single or sole.
the exclusive means of communication between two places.
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disposed to resist the admission of outsiders to association, intimacy, etc..
an exclusive circle of intimate friends.
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admitting only members of a socially restricted or very carefully selected group.
an exclusive club.
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excluding or tending to exclude or prohibit, as from use or possession.
exclusive laws;
exclusive restrictions on use of the property.
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Grammar. (of the first person plural) not including the person or persons spoken to, as we in We'll see you later.
noun
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exclusives
plural
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Journalism. a piece of news, or the reporting of a piece of news, obtained by a newspaper or other news organization, along with the privilege of using it first.
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an exclusive right or privilege.
to have an exclusive on providing fuel oil to the area.
adjective
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excluding all else; rejecting other considerations, possibilities, events, etc
an exclusive preoccupation with money
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belonging to a particular individual or group and to no other; not shared
exclusive rights
an exclusive story
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belonging to or catering for a privileged minority, esp a fashionable clique
an exclusive restaurant
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limited (to); found only (in)
this model is exclusive to Harrods
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single; unique; only
the exclusive means of transport on the island was the bicycle
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separate and incompatible
mutually exclusive principles
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(immediately postpositive) not including the numbers, dates, letters, etc, mentioned
1980–84 exclusive
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except (for); not taking account (of)
exclusive of bonus payments, you will earn this amount
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commerce (of a contract, agreement, etc) binding the parties to do business only with each other with respect to a class of goods or services
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logic (of a disjunction) true if only one rather than both of its component propositions is true Compare inclusive
noun
Usage
What does exclusive mean? Exclusive is most commonly used to describe things that are limited to certain people. Exclusive can be thought of as an adjective form of the verb exclude, which means to shut out or keep out—the opposite of include. It can be applied in many different contexts, but almost all of them have to do with there being a limit on something, especially on how many people have access to something. Exclusive can also be used as a noun referring to something that is available from only one place, especially a news story that is only being reported by a particular news organization or a product that is only being offered by one store. Example: The highly exclusive event was only for A-list celebrities, but they let Ryan Reynolds in for some reason.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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exclusivenessnoun
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exclusivitynoun
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nonexclusiveadjective
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preexclusiveadjective
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semiexclusiveadjective
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ultraexclusiveadjective
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unexclusiveadjective
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exclusivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of exclusive
First recorded in 1400–50; 1900–05 exclusive for def. 13; (adjective) late Middle English from Medieval Latin exclūsīvus; see exclusion, -ive
Explanation
Exclusive means with limited access. The only way you might get reservations at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Los Angeles is to become friends with the maitre d', or become famous. By its nature, something that is exclusive leaves people out, or excludes them. You would think this was a bad thing, since excluding people is not very nice, but by being exclusive, things like clubs, restaurants, and resorts become all the more desirable. Exclusive can also mean sole or only: The company became the exclusive soda vendor at the new stadium. The local newspaper got an exclusive interview and broke the news.
Vocabulary lists containing exclusive
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Case Closed: Clud, Clus
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Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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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.
See Examples For:
The worldwide exclusive is here for you to enjoy, and it’s hardly the milk-and-cookies remembrances of some CEO memoirs past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
“In pop culture, we have introduced an entirely new fandom experience and destination that leans into things like trading cards and collectibles, but also exclusive collaborations, into one cohesive experience,” Sylvester said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Fixing the mess has been the company’s top priority since the fire started June 17, Lineage Chief Executive Greg Lehmkuhl told the Los Angeles Times in an exclusive interview.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
While it sells tens of millions of its chips per year, its clothing is far more exclusive.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
“Apparently we are staying in a neighborhood so exclusive that no one has ever heard of it. Why, children, whatever is the matter? You look as if you have seen a ghost!”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Last year, another L.A. staple, Randy’s Donuts, opened its first Japan location in Tokyo, and has multiple locations that sell classic American donuts and Japan exclusives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
“There haven’t been as many must have Switch 2 exclusives as you’d hope right now, and so you’re bouncing that in your head against the potential for Nintendo to have to increase prices,” he said.
From Barron's ● Mar. 28, 2026
It also plans to offer trendy exclusives on items such as trading cards and products related to the television show “Stranger Things.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
It's the latest sign Microsoft is moving away from the traditional approach of console makers keeping their own franchises and characters as exclusives.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025
It is only the degenerate modern town-elite, among the exclusives, who pretend that easiness of manners—meaning thereby the total absence of all dignified stiffness—is the true test of aristocratic breeding.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 4 by Various
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.
