Synonyms of sui generis

sui generis

adjective

ˌsü-ˌī-ˈje-nə-rəs 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• only
• one
• lone
• special
• unique
• sole
• alone
• solitary
• distinctive
• single
• singular
• distinct
• inimitable
• unsurpassable
• unrivaled
• unparalleled
• incomparable
• unattended
• unequaled
• unsurpassed
• unaccompanied
• one-off
• matchless
• unmatched
• separate
• individual
• solo
• peerless
• nonce

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sui generis

Lisa McGee broke through with a sui generis comedy that mined aspects of her own experience to find authentic humor in a harrowing situation. — Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026

Together, multi-instrumentalists Marc Riordan and Jon Leland craft a sui generis anachronism, hellbent on lovingly refracting the century-old sound through a contemporary prism. — Aly Eleanor, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026

Her writing plays according to very strong internal rules—the aesthetic is really regulated and, in many ways, sui generis. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026

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

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