ˌən-ik-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
the physicist, now regarded as one of the brightest minds in science, was an unexceptional student as a child
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Recent Examples of unexceptional
The Citizen: This is a character who is normal in every possible way, living an unexceptional life, who makes a morally dubious choice that leads them down The Path Of No Return.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Aaron Rodgers has plenty to prove heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener after a rather unexceptional 2024 from both a team and an individual perspective.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
The kitchen is … perfectly unexceptional and very studio size.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 28 July 2025
Left exposed, Lebanon could not prevent Iran from projecting its power through Hezbollah, which evolved from its original state as an unexceptional guerilla force into a highly professional and well-armed paramilitary organization.
—Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2010
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Aaron Rodgers has plenty to prove heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener after a rather unexceptional 2024 from both a team and an individual perspective.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
The kitchen is … perfectly unexceptional and very studio size.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 28 July 2025
Left exposed, Lebanon could not prevent Iran from projecting its power through Hezbollah, which evolved from its original state as an unexceptional guerilla force into a highly professional and well-armed paramilitary organization.
—Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2010
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexceptional
Adjective
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At normal pool, anglers will find them at depths of 20-25 feet.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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What the files do seem to confirm, though, is the conspiracy theorist’s view of an elite stratosphere, where normal rules don’t apply, everyone knows each other, and ideological differences are subsumed to self-interested motives.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Their goal with the video was to push back against the president’s domestic troop deployments, a trend his critics feared might lead to clashes with ordinary Americans or be used to interfere in upcoming elections.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Nothing out of the ordinary there, admittedly.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Close added that Dugalic’s intense effort was in response to a couple of games during which Dugalic wasn’t playing to her usual standard.—
Felicia Keller,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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On a chilly Austin morning, downtown buzzed with excitement earlier than usual for a Sunday.—
Aaron E Martinez,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Observations of transits of Venus, which only occur twice per century, on average (most recently in 2012), were humanity’s first indication that Venus possessed — whereas Mercury lacked — a substantial atmosphere.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
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The average transaction price (ATP) on a new vehicle hit $50,000 for the first time ever last fall, according to Kelley Blue Book.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This is not your typical Aladdin’s Cave vintage shop, where rails are stacked on top of each other and garments fill every corner.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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However, the expert warned that focusing on combat performance could push robot development away from typical industrial or service uses, because fighting requires extreme, short bursts of high-impact movement rather than steady, practical operation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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All-cash offers, including in Boise and its surrounding suburbs, became commonplace and spurred bidding wars that drove up housing prices, Michael Megis, a longtime broker also with the Homes of Idaho real estate firm, said in an interview.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
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McTier said Disney’s deal with OpenAI is an example of the kind of partnership that should become more commonplace.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The use of these otherwise unremarkable studio and one-bedroom apartments was yet another of the many favors Epstein bestowed to gain leverage over people and keep them in his debt.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
13 Feb. 2026
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The dresser drawers that sat above the opening served as an ordinary, unremarkable piece of furniture — the kind of detail someone would walk past without a second glance.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unexceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexceptional. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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