par excellence 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpär-ˌek-sə-ˈläns How to pronounce par excellence (audio)
Definition of par excellencenext
as in excellent
of the very best kind sophisticated cuisine that is obviously the work of a chef par excellence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

par excellence

2 of 2

adverb

as in at all

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of par excellence
Adjective
The service South Africa’s hospitality culture, to many, is par excellence, and Echo’s nearly all-South African front-of-house team feels like a natural extension of this (just in briskier climes). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026 Taxidermy would become the visual medium par excellence illustrating European expansion—one far more accessible to a broader crowd than anything in books, private collections, or even early zoos. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 18 May 2026 The perception of Disney as an American institution par excellence became, in this period, a matter of legal and financial fact. — Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026 With an inventive concept inspired by the Dutch series De Verraders and a superbly dressed host, The Traitors is a murder mystery game show par excellence. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for par excellence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for par excellence
  1. excellent
  2. at all
  3. wonderful
  4. very
  5. awesome
  6. extremely
  7. lovely
  8. fully
Adjective
  • His 28-yard touchdown reception from Sam Darnold late in the second quarter beat Delane, who had excellent position.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The biggest key for the Brewers in this game is to see if their bullpen can keep their excellent pitching alive.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adverb
  • Empty nesters looking to downsize can't find an affordable place to go, and longtime homeowners are reluctant to move at all, given current high mortgage rates.
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Even the titular Mosquito Bowl finally arrives with almost no build-up at all.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of at all
Adjective
  • An itinerary of hikes, wine tastings, and a sunset cruise offering incredible views of the Santa Barbara coastline is a wonderful way to end the day, while a cozy house with a garden will add to everyone’s enjoyment.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The improbable evening turned into a moving tribute to both Capra himself and his tale of the suicidal banker George Bailey, who comes to realize that his life has indeed been wonderful.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adverb
  • For example, because of their own home-buying timeline, a seller may need to close very quickly or may need more time than usual.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • These songs are very evidently arranged, with ticklish, left-field grooves and tight pockets—never too tight for the persistent, puckish charm, the elbow-nudging glee.
    — Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of very
Adjective
  • This training staff’s awesome, and all the guys really like this training staff.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • With all of the breaks in action and the partnerships, live betting provides you with awesome opportunities to place in-game wagers.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of awesome
Adverb
  • Today, however, plague is curable and extremely unlikely to blow up into a new pandemic, experts say.
    — Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Nowhere was his balancing act viewed more extremely than with Ukraine.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adjective
  • Montserrat Collection Residence Set within a 1930s French-style building, this lovely home features contemporary Argentine art and mid-century design.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But Mi-ok is game to be interviewed, and her words spring to life in wistfully lovely flashbacks.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of lovely
Adverb
  • The fully electric design combines a 151 MWh energy storage system with containerized batteries and port charging infrastructure.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Yet, Wealth Briefing Asia notes that regulatory and reporting challenges often stop family offices from fully embracing crypto assets.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fully

Browse Nearby Words

paretic
par excellence
par for the course
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Par excellence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/par%20excellence. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All