exorbitant
adjective
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How was exorbitant first used?
Not all who wander are lost, but at one time such errant souls might have been called exorbitant. Exorbitant traces back to the Late Latin verb exorbitare, meaning “to deviate,” which in turn was formed by combining the prefix ex- (“out of”) with the noun orbita, which referred to the rut or track of a wheel. While exorbitant could describe something moving erratically—physically straying from its usual course—it was also applied figuratively to other “wanderers,” such as off-topic remarks, powers going beyond the scope of the law, and even sinful people, i.e., those no longer on the straight and narrow. Eventually, exorbitant developed its extended sense as a synonym of excessive, and it is now used to describe that which exceeds appropriate or customary limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size.
Examples of exorbitant in a Sentence
Hannah Beech, Time, 27 Oct. 2003
As with the black truffle, foie gras is as exorbitant ($52 a pound) as it is decadent (one gram of foie gras can reportedly be 900 calories).
—Heather Morgan, Traveler, April 2000
… I recommend that the Congress adopt … [a] continuation of the law for the renegotiation of war contracts—which will prevent exorbitant profits and assure fair prices to the Government.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt 11 Jan. 1944,
in Nothing to Fear by B. D. Zevin, 1946
They were charged exorbitant rates for phone calls.
the cost of our stay was so exorbitant you would have thought that we had bought the hotel and not just spent a few nights there
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Looted sacks of flour are sold in the market for exorbitant prices, unaffordable for these women and their children.
—Sarah El Sirgany, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
Too many diagnoses occur at late, less treatable stages, prompting exorbitant spending on end-of-life care instead of investment in cost-effective methods to extend health span and lifespan.
—Kim Praitano, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Its price-to-sales ratio is an exorbitant 144.5, significantly higher than the S&P 500 average of 3.1, and its market capitalization is below $300 million.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for exorbitant
Cite this Entry
“Exorbitant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exorbitant. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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exorbitant
adjective
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