exceptional
adjective
ex·cep·tion·al
ik-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl 
2
: better than average : superior
exceptional skill
3
: deviating from the norm: such as
a
: having above or below average intelligence
b
: physically disabled
exceptionalness
noun
Examples of exceptional in a Sentence
We're bending the rules for this exceptional situation.
an exceptional student in math
The seafood dishes at this restaurant are exceptional.
a separate school for exceptional children
Recent Examples on the Web
Those with very poor credit scores (between 300 and 579) pay 273% more than those with exceptional credit scores (between 800 and 850), according to data from the insurance comparison site the Zebra.
—
Liz Knueven, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Historian Timothy Snyder has warned that democracies often die through the normalization of the exceptional—emergency as governance, loyalty as qualification, disinformation as a political tool.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
But O’Connell’s Rams days would give him an exceptional feel for Agnew’s value and potential fit, which is perhaps the most important component as the Wilfs assess the team’s future.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Skenes has been nothing short of exceptional on the mound since breaking into the league following a college career at Air Force and LSU.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exceptional
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Liz Knueven, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Historian Timothy Snyder has warned that democracies often die through the normalization of the exceptional—emergency as governance, loyalty as qualification, disinformation as a political tool.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
But O’Connell’s Rams days would give him an exceptional feel for Agnew’s value and potential fit, which is perhaps the most important component as the Wilfs assess the team’s future.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Skenes has been nothing short of exceptional on the mound since breaking into the league following a college career at Air Force and LSU.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exceptional
Cite this Entry
“Exceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exceptional. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exceptional
adjective
ex·cep·tion·al
ik-ˈsep-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
1
: forming an exception : being unusual
an exceptional amount of rain
2
: better than average : superior
an exceptional student in math
exceptionally
adverb
-ē
exceptionalness
noun
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