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Synonyms

sui generis

American  
[soo-i ge-ne-ris, soo-ahy jen-er-is, soo-ee] / ˈsʊ ɪ ˈgɛ nɛ rɪs, ˈsu aɪ ˈdʒɛn ər ɪs, ˈsu i /

adjective

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


sui generis British  
/ ˌsuːaɪ ˈdʒɛnərɪs /

adjective

  1. unique

"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

sui generis Cultural  
  1. 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.”


Etymology

Origin of sui generis

Latin, literally: of its own 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.

See Examples For:

Once considered the product of two distinct artists, “Boy With a Basket of Fruit” speaks to the intensity of Caravaggio’s spectacular, sui generis vision of what Italian naturalism would become in his hands.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 11, 2026

He was, however, an original, with a sui generis style both intense and charming.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 31, 2025

To them, even after eight years of experience, the president is some type of sui generis figure, an aberration in American politics and culture.

From Salon Aug. 30, 2025

Parker was often abrasive, but Crowther considers Parker empathetically, as a sui generis who resisted becoming a cog in the filmmaking machinery.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 3, 2024

She thought of the sui generis Hixby’s guidebook, the fictitious Judge Quinzy, and the mysterious danger Miss Mortimer had warned her about.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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