exclusive

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.

Examples of exclusive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But also because, as years of Netflix have demonstrated, the quality of theatrical releases is almost always higher than streaming exclusives. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026

Now, the playful moment will continue on the NBA Finals court courtesy of Anunoby’s new exclusives. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 June 2026

In an exclusive for InStyle, the mom, actress, and entrepreneur catches readers up on her life and keeps it refreshingly real. —Sarah Scott, Parents, 3 June 2026

Check out the film’s first trailer, an IndieWire exclusive, below. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing exclusive

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

Rhymes for exclusive

• abusive
• allusive
• collusive
• conclusive
• conducive
• delusive
• diffusive
• elusive
• extrusive
• illusive
• inclusive
• intrusive

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