exclusive

play

adjective ex·clu·sive \ik-ˈsklü-siv, -ziv\

Definition of exclusive

1a : excluding or having power to excludeb : limiting or limited to possession, control, or use by a single individual or group
2a : excluding others from participationb : snobbishly aloof
3a : accepting or soliciting only a socially restricted patronage (as of the upper class)b : stylish, fashionablec : restricted in distribution, use, or appeal because of expense
4a : single, sole exclusive jurisdictionb : whole, undivided his exclusive attention

exclusively

adverb

exclusiveness

noun

See exclusive defined for English-language learners

See exclusive defined for kids

Examples of exclusive in a Sentence

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 of exclusive from the Web

Its board also has authorized an exclusive negotiating agreement with a development team that was chosen to lead the makeover of the downtown waterfront destination.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Headquarters center, Seaport Village up for sale", 3 July 2017
The Cut enlisted photographers Molly SJ Lowe and Rémi Procureur to get an exclusive look at two of the newest additions to couture week.

— rémi procureur, The Cut, "Go Backstage at Proenza Schouler and Rodarte’s First Couture Shows", 3 July 2017
Home Depot was the exclusive seller of the fixtures from December 2014 through March.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "You want these lights on the wall. But they fall off the wall", 2 July 2017
Its buzz-worthy design and exclusive text-message delivery system have created a coveted drink with health benefits.

— natalina lopez, Town & Country, "Dirty Lemon Opens its First Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Bar", 30 June 2017
Santa's coming to town this month delivering deals, discounts, sweepstakes, exclusive experiences and other fun perks to our subscribers.

— Cincinnati.com, "CHRISTMAS IN JULY", 23 June 2017
The whole grid system—L.A. buses usually follow one north-south street or east-west boulevard for their entire voyage—could be altered, or buses may be given exclusive lanes to speed up travel.

— neal broverman, Los Angeles Magazine, "Metro Hustles to Turn Bus Ridership Around With WiFi and 24-Hour Service", 23 June 2017
The national gourmet cookie shop will sell regular cookies, usually $1.69, at exclusive birthday pricing of 40 cents.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Great American Cookies turns 40 and is giving away free Cookie Cakes", 20 June 2017
South Florida is not that greatly affected, because Magic City Casino in Miami never stopped its games, and has an exclusive contract with the game creators that shuts out Casino Miami and Hialeah Park.

— nick sortal, miamiherald, "Designated player games return to Florida poker rooms", 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exclusive'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

First Known Use of exclusive

1515

exclusive

noun ex·clu·sive

Definition of exclusive

: something exclusive: such asa : a news story at first released to or reported by only one sourceb : an exclusive right (as to sell a particular product in a certain area)

See exclusive defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of exclusive from the Web

The first 150 participants to sign up receive an exclusive, free race T-shirt.

— Courant Community, "Community News for the West Hartford Edition", 27 June 2017
Subscribers, you're invited to get tickets for an exclusive, free event that's designed to thank you for your loyalty!

— The Courier-Journal, "Subscribers, join us for Coffee with the Editor!", 26 June 2017
The erosion has hit lesbian establishments disproportionately, according to Ms. Gatta, with not a single bar exclusive to gay women in either San Francisco or Los Angeles.

— jim farber, New York Times, "How ‘Gay’ Should a Gay Bar Be?", 24 June 2017
State of Decay 2 Another Xbox exclusive (and thus Windows 10 game thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere), Microsoft showed off more footage from the upcoming co-op zombie shooter State of Decay 2.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "Microsoft at E3: Meet the Xbox One X's legion of games (that are coming to PC, too)", 11 June 2017
In addition to a full lineup of curated picks, exclusives, and in-depth reporting, keep an eye out for these new additions: Danielle Tcholakian joined Longreads as a staff writer. Meaghan O’Connell is joining us as a columnist.

— catherine cusick, Longreads, "Announcing New Writers and Expanded Coverage", 7 June 2017
Under its former CEO Terry Lundgren, who stepped down in March as part of a succession plan, Macy’s was trying to add more exclusives and has been testing new formats like off-price stores.

— anne d'innocenzio, The Seattle Times, "Macy’s warns about profit margins, sending shares lower", 6 June 2017
Level Four Pool Deck + Lounge at Kimpton Hotel Palomar Hotel Palomar’s exclusive, yet unpretentious poolside sanctuary serves as a relaxing refuge for those thirsty to try something new.

— michael benninger, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Splash down: San Diego’s hottest pool parties", 1 June 2017
As the shopping center marks its 50th anniversary, the retail scion shares tips for growing sales and nabbing exclusives from luxury brands.

— khanh t.l. tran, The Hollywood Reporter, "At Work With Anton Segerstrom: Retail Lessons From The South Coast Plaza Scion", 25 May 2017

First Known Use of exclusive

15th century

EXCLUSIVE Defined for English Language Learners

exclusive

play

adjective

Definition of exclusive for English Language Learners

: not shared : available to only one person or group
: only allowing in people from a high social class
: available to only a few people because of high cost

exclusive

noun

Definition of exclusive for English Language Learners

: a news story that appears in only one newspaper or that is broadcast by only one television or radio station

EXCLUSIVE Defined for Kids

exclusive

play

adjective ex·clu·sive \ik-ˈsklü-siv, -ziv\

Definition of exclusive for Students

1 : excluding or trying to exclude others an exclusive neighborhood
2 : ⁴sole 2 Residents have exclusive use of the beach.
3 : entire, complete Please give me your exclusive attention.

exclusively

adverb

Law Dictionary

exclusive

adjective ex·clu·sive

Legal Definition of exclusive

1a : 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