exclusive

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​clu·​sive ik-ˈsklü-siv 

-ziv

1

a

: excluding or having power to exclude

b

: limiting or limited to possession, control, or use by a single individual or group

2

a

: excluding others from participation

b

: snobbishly aloof

3

a

: accepting or soliciting only a socially restricted patronage (as of the upper class)

b

: stylish, fashionable

c

: restricted in distribution, use, or appeal because of expense

4

a

: single, sole

exclusive jurisdiction

b

: whole, undivided

his exclusive attention

exclusiveness noun

exclusive

2 of 2

noun

: something exclusive: such as

a

: a news story at first released to or reported by only one source

b

: an exclusive right (as to sell a particular product in a certain area)

Did you know?

In words such as expel, export, and exclusive, the prefix ex- means "out of, outside". Thus, to exclude means basically to close the door in order to keep someone or something out. When the word appears in an advertisement, it's often making an appeal to snobs. An "exclusive" offer is supposedly made to only a few people; not so many years ago, "exclusive" housing developments excluded those of a certain race or color. If a product is being sold exclusively by one store, you won't be able to find it anywhere else. When a newspaper or news show has an exclusive, it's a story that no one else has yet reported. Exclusive's antonym is inclusive; an inclusive policy, an inclusive church, or an inclusive approach is one that aims to include as many people as possible.

Synonyms

Adjective

• single
• sole
• unshared

Examples of exclusive in a Sentence

Adjective

He belongs to an exclusive club.

She attended an exclusive private school.

one of the city's most exclusive restaurants

They gave their exclusive attention to the job.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

While there are still a few months until the official start of summer, Target’s exclusive Hearth & Hand with Magnolia collection is making a case for ushering in the season a little early. —Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

That sale price represented the most ever paid for a home in the exclusive community. —James McClain, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024

The upcoming six-part TV show was showcased among 10 exclusive titles at this week’s MipDrama at MipTV in Cannes. —Annika Pham, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024

Hertz President’s Circle Status: Elevate your car rentals with complimentary Hertz President’s Circle Status, offering exclusive benefits like priority service and vehicle upgrades. —Kim Hawk, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2024

The two sides are in a period of exclusive negotiations, according to people familiar with the matter who are not permitted to comment. —Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024

The fashion industry has long been criticized for its storied past of exclusive sizing. —Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024

This spring, Liberty London is also partnering with Nordstrom on an exclusive collection of fashion and homewares in Liberty’s storied floral prints. —Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Apr. 2024

Noun

The flood of PlayStation exclusives coming to the PC continues. —Andrew Webster, The Verge, 6 Mar. 2024

Each week, Maricopa and Pinal county reporter Sasha Hupka reports and curates must-know campaign news, insider exclusives and service-style voter tips from Arizona’s largest and most talented elections team. —Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024

Multi-hyphenate Teyana Taylor will make her directorial debut in the upcoming film, Get Lite, according to a Deadline exclusive. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024

The other two games are smaller and were never meant to be big-time exclusives. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024

The album will not likely have much of a presence on streaming, but should sell fairly well – helped by five vinyl variants, including an indie retailer exclusive red-color vinyl and an artist-webstore-only picture disc, as well as three CD editions, including exclusives for both Target and Amazon. —Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024

There also will be exclusives and goodies as well as a special Miss Dior flower shop — a tribute to the love of flowers that Dior and his sister Catherine shared. —The Editors, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

After first releasing an elaborate box set of the film in January as an exclusive on the company’s own website, Arrow Video is now releasing it everywhere with different packaging and a bounty of extras. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024

So, why does Microsoft need to launch Xbox exclusives on rival platforms? —Tom Warren, The Verge, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing exclusive

• exclusive disjunction
• exclusive economic zone
• exclusive of
• mutually exclusive

Kids Definition

exclusive

adjective

ex·​clu·​sive

iks-ˈklü-siv,

-ziv

1

: excluding or trying to exclude others

an exclusive neighborhood

2

: sole entry 4 sense 2a

we have exclusive use of the beach

3

: full entry 1 sense 2c, complete

gave their exclusive attention to the job

exclusively adverb

exclusiveness noun

Legal Definition

exclusive

adjective

ex·​clu·​sive

1

a

: excluding or having power to exclude others

exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries

—U.S. Constitution art. I

b

: being independent from or not shared by others : sole

exclusive control

exclusive use

2

: limiting or limited to possession, ownership, or use by a single individual or group

an exclusive lease