exceptional
Americanadjective
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forming an exception or rare instance; unusual; extraordinary.
The warm weather was exceptional for January.
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unusually excellent; superior.
an exceptional violinist.
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Education. (of a child)
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being intellectually gifted.
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being physically or especially mentally disabled to an extent that special schooling is required.
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adjective
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forming an exception; not ordinary
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having much more than average intelligence, ability, or skill
Related Words
See irregular.
Other Word Forms
- exceptionality noun
- exceptionally adverb
- exceptionalness noun
- nonexceptional adjective
- preexceptional adjective
- quasi-exceptional adjective
- superexceptional adjective
Etymology
Origin of exceptional
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.
After his family launched a campaign to have his case reviewed, the government eventually recognised Nelson's case as "exceptional" and he was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2024.
From BBC
"Its dramatic five-storey Great Tower, remarkable stonework and exceptional period detailing place it among the country's most important historic houses."
From BBC
“This home is a rare example of Swiss architectural mastery, built with exceptional quality, thoughtful details, and a focus on longevity,” Young adds.
From MarketWatch
Operating profit before exceptional items—the company’s preferred metric, which strips out exceptional and other one-off items—rose 13.1% to 5.02 billion euros.
Storm Bram brought widespread impacts but was described by the Met Office as a "notable but not exceptional Atlantic winter storm".
From BBC
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.
