as in only
being the one or ones of a class with no other members
among history's greats Leonardo da Vinci is often considered sui generis—a man of such stupendous genius that the world may never see his like again
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Recent Examples of sui generis
The Luftwaffe had already obliterated Warsaw and Rotterdam, but Paris was sui generis.
—
Sam Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2015
This uncomfortable family scenario could have played out any number of ways, from broad comedy to volatile drama, but Hong puts his own sui generis stamp on it.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The alchemical match between director and DP remains one of the defining collaborations of Lynch’s career, with Elmes crystallizing Lynch’s nightmarish and entirely sui generis vision of the American underbelly in all those films.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Jan. 2025
There is a good case to be made, therefore, that each of these country-level crises is sui generis.
—Shantayanan Devarajan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Sam Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2015
This uncomfortable family scenario could have played out any number of ways, from broad comedy to volatile drama, but Hong puts his own sui generis stamp on it.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The alchemical match between director and DP remains one of the defining collaborations of Lynch’s career, with Elmes crystallizing Lynch’s nightmarish and entirely sui generis vision of the American underbelly in all those films.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Jan. 2025
There is a good case to be made, therefore, that each of these country-level crises is sui generis.
—Shantayanan Devarajan, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sui generis
Adjective
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Madonna is far from the only celebrity to have been spotted with purses by Aupen — Taylor Swift was notably spotted on a date with Travis Kelce in October 2023 wearing the brand's Nirvana bag in black.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
14 June 2025
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The only two golfers to shoot 67 or better — Spaun and Thriston Lawrence — putted out of their minds, both ranking top four in the field in strokes gained on the green.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
3 Aug. 2019
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Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.—
Johannes Himmelreich,
BostonGlobe.com,
30 Mar. 2018
Adjective
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Nunes’ lone loss during her dominant stretch came against Peña.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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The lone exception was Heather Wilson, president of the University of Texas at El Paso and a former Republican member of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the Air Force during the first Trump administration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from doctors and dermatologists.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
14 June 2025
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The fee-free days only waive fees for standard amenities, which do not include fees or costs associated with campground reservations, cabin rentals or special tours.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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His unparalleled talent and unique spirit created the soundtrack of so many lives around the globe, including our own.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
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Players take turns adding their own spin with a creative stroke, but everyone respects the rule associated with this unique tradition.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sui%20generis. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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