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 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
People think that this fake news phenomenon is a sui generis invention of the digital age.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
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
People think that this fake news phenomenon is a sui generis invention of the digital age.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sui generis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sui generis
Adjective
-
But because of the area’s shortage of medical specialists, the New Mexico Human Services Department requested a waiver on his behalf that permitted him to resume practice and continue treating cancer patients as the only oncologist in all of Luna County, a remote rural region.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Sneakers aren’t the only travel-ready shoe that provides all-day comfort and cool-girl style.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 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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Sidberry scored the senior lineup's lone basket — but the scoreboard was of little consequence to the veteran Longhorns.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
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Offseason after offseason during Mike McDaniel’s four-year tenure Miami spent big, with last year being the lone exception.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There must be experts to identify the two or three special players at each age group.—
Philipp Lahm,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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This detailed build also includes a commemorative armored Batman minifigure and a special golden coin built right into the cockpit, which marks 20 years of Lego Batman builds.—
Brittany Anas,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sui%20generis. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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