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.

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sui generis British  

/ ˌsuːaɪ ˈdʒɛnərɪs /

adjective

1. unique

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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.”

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Etymology

Origin of sui generis

Latin, literally: of its own kind

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sui generis

But a long weekend in New York or Los Angeles will unfold global cities you expect to be sui generis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

The president is a sui generis figure in American history.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

This is also something that has brought us together, for good or for bad, and that has a governance which has been almost sui generis and which is working.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

It made him singular, but perhaps unintentionally it makes him look less sui generis than lonely.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025

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

Related Words

• bizarre
• extraordinary
• fantastic
• miraculous
• new
• remarkable
• singular
• uncommon
• unheard-of
• unique
• unparalleled
• unrivaled
• unusual