sui generis

adjective sui ge·ner·is \ ˌsü-ˌī-ˈje-nə-rəs ; ˌsü-ē-ˈje- , -ˈge- \

Definition of sui generis

:constituting a class alone :unique, peculiar

See sui generis defined for English-language learners

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Examples of sui generis in a Sentence

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

Did You Know?

English contains many terms that ultimately trace back to the Latin forms gener- or "genus" (which are variously translated as "birth," "race," "kind," and "class"). Offspring of those roots include "general," "generate," "generous," "generic," "degenerate," and "gender." But "sui generis" is truly a one-of-a-kind "gener-" descendant that English speakers have used for singular things since the late 1600s. Its earliest uses were in scientific contexts, where it identified substances, principles, diseases, and even rocks that were unique or that seemed to be the only representative of their class or group. By the early 1900s, however, "sui generis" had expanded beyond solely scientific contexts, and it is now used more generally for anything that stands alone.

Origin and Etymology of sui generis

Latin, of its own kind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1694

See Words from the same year

sui generis Synonyms

Synonyms

alone, lone, one, one-off, singular, sole, solitary, special, only, unique

Related Words

single, solo, unaccompanied, unattended; incomparable, inimitable, matchless, peerless, unequaled (or unequalled), unmatched, unparalleled, unrivaled (or unrivalled), unsurpassable, unsurpassed; distinct, distinctive, individual, separate; nonce

Near Antonyms

divers, manifold, multifarious, myriad; assorted, heterogenous, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, patchwork, promiscuous, varied; popular, prevailing, prevalent, rampant; perennial, recurrent, repeated

SUI GENERIS Defined for English Language Learners

sui generis

adjective

Definition of sui generis for English Language Learners

: in a class or group of its own : not like anything else

Law Dictionary

sui generis

adjective sui ge·ner·is \ ˈsü-ˌī-ˈje-nə-rəs, ˈsü-ē- \

legal Definition of sui generis

:constituting a class alone :unique or particular to itself

the lawyer's…ad that makes no distinction among various legal and factual nuances in each sui generis case has the potential to mislead
—National Law Journal