as in only
being the one or ones of a class with no other members
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
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Recent Examples of sui generis
The same thing can be said about the narrowcast programming on public-access television, which, at its best, vibrated with sui generis excitement that predated and forecasted the early uncharted territory of the internet.
—
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
The resulting footage was only discovered by the Cinémathèque in 2023; now edited together into a cohesive work, this invaluable and sui generis artifact finds one master filmmaker engaging with and taking in thewisdom, riddles, and pronouncements of another.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
The sui generis nature of Japanese culture, practices and lifestyle continue to be a font of inspiration for directors in the region.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
His photography is truly rare—sui generis.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
The resulting footage was only discovered by the Cinémathèque in 2023; now edited together into a cohesive work, this invaluable and sui generis artifact finds one master filmmaker engaging with and taking in thewisdom, riddles, and pronouncements of another.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
The sui generis nature of Japanese culture, practices and lifestyle continue to be a font of inspiration for directors in the region.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
His photography is truly rare—sui generis.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sui generis
Adjective
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Barring an Eric Swalwell-style blow-up, the top three — Becerra, Steyer and Hilton — are really the only true contenders.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
Scheffler has struggled with opening rounds for most of the year since opening with a 63 in his season debut at The American Express, his only victory.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
3 Aug. 2019
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Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.—
Johannes Himmelreich,
BostonGlobe.com,
30 Mar. 2018
Adjective
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After collecting just 468 rushing yards and two touchdowns with the Cougars, Davis produced 731 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in his lone campaign with the Aggies.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
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The film starts out with a lone sheriff [Hwang Jung-min] who knows there’s something dangerous out there in the shadows causing death and destruction.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Now, heading into this upcoming special legislative session on the state budget, my focus is on locking in funding for more local water projects — and for Resilient Florida.—
Anna V. Eskamani,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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While the exact financial impact of Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois isn’t yet known, Hilda Alvarez Rodriguez, special projects manager at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the vast majority of Chicago businesses did not emerge unscathed.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sui%20generis. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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