Sui

[swee]

noun

a dynasty ruling in China a.d. 589–618.

sui generis

[soo -i ge-ne-ris; English soo-ahy jen-er-is, soo-ee]

adjective Latin.

of his, her, its, or their own kind; unique.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sui

Contemporary Examples of sui

“It is well established that a fetus is not a ‘person’; rather it is a sui generis organism,” the ruling stated.
Court Says Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Isn’t a Crime
Elizabeth Picciuto
December 9, 2014
Obama is something of a sui generis figure, yes, but I have my doubts.
Why I'd Rather be a Black Republican
Jamelle Bouie
February 17, 2014
Cosell was not only sui generis, he also faded quickly from public consciousness once he was pushed off the air.
The Only Sportscaster That Mattered: New Biography of Howard Cosell
Robert Lipsyte
November 20, 2011
Journalists have a soft spot for him, even avowedly liberal ones like me, because if nothing else he is sui generis.
Why Newt Gingrich Will Never Be President
Michael Tomasky
May 10, 2011
Instead, she went to a gas station, where by chance, Sui Mak's husband, Bing, spotted her.
Jailed for a Suicide Attempt
Jennifer Block
April 13, 2011

Historical Examples of sui

He wished to judge for himself about these emanations, sui generis.
The English at the North Pole
Jules Verne
We cross the Atlantic, and among the Greenlanders discover a myth, which is sui generis.
Moon Lore
Timothy Harley
It is sui generis; we know of none that can pretend to compare with it.
Jungle Folk
Douglas Dewar
Knowledge is sui generis, and, as such, cannot be explained.
Kant's Theory of Knowledge
Harold Arthur Prichard
Knowledge is sui generis and therefore a 'theory' of it is impossible.
Kant's Theory of Knowledge
Harold Arthur Prichard

British Dictionary definitions for sui

sui generis

adjective

unique

Word Origin for sui generis

Latin, literally: of its own kind

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sui

sui generis

1787, Latin, literally "of one's own kind, peculiar." First element from sui, genitive of suus "his, her, its, one's," from Old Latin sovos, from PIE root *swe-, pronoun of the third person (see idiom).

sui in Culture

sui generis

[(sooh-ee, sooh-eye jen-uh-ris)]

A person or thing that is unique, in a class by itself: “She is an original artist; each of her paintings is sui generis.” From Latin, meaning “of its own kind.”