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 resulting footage was only discovered by the Cinémathèque in 2023; now edited together into a cohesive work, this invaluable and sui generis artifact finds one master filmmaker engaging with and taking in thewisdom, riddles, and pronouncements of another.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
The sui generis nature of Japanese culture, practices and lifestyle continue to be a font of inspiration for directors in the region.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
His photography is truly rare—sui generis.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
People think that this fake news phenomenon is a sui generis invention of the digital age.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
The sui generis nature of Japanese culture, practices and lifestyle continue to be a font of inspiration for directors in the region.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
His photography is truly rare—sui generis.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
People think that this fake news phenomenon is a sui generis invention of the digital age.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sui generis
Adjective
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Baker would probably love People’s, a new referral-only cocktail lounge in the West Village.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The only factor complicating a further invasion would be the political cost at home.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
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
-
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
-
That had Powell playing off the bench for the third time in his past four appearances, his lone appearances as a reserve as a member of the Heat.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Mar. 2026
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Dixon produced 20 tackles and six pass breakups in his lone campaign with the Tar Heels.—
Mike Kaye
March 24,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Munyak's magic moment LIU's last basket of the night was special for the Sharks and their fans, who all erupted in cheers when Eddie Munyak banked in a 3-pointer with 53 seconds left.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Fourteen percent of Republican respondents approved of a large-scale invasion, while 63% supported using limited special forces.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sui%20generis. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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