sui generis
adjective
ˌsü-ē-ˈje-
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Many English words 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, and gender. But sui generis is truly a one-of-a-kind genus descendant that English speakers have used to describe singular things since the late 1600s. Its earliest uses were in scientific contexts, but where it once mostly characterized substances, principles, diseases, and even rocks thought to be the only representative of their class or group, its use expanded by the early 1900s, and it is now used more generally for anything that stands alone.
Examples of sui generis in a Sentence
Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025
Critics hailed Born to Run as a crowning achievement, something both sui generis and revitalizing.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
Meeting Byrne at his office was like getting a glimpse inside the psyche of an artist who has forged a sui generis career exploring music and storytelling in many different styles and forms, Aswad says.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
The results were jolting and sui generis.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sui%20generis. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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sui generis
adjective
National Law JournalLatin, of its own kind
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