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
-
This weekend's Pirates-Rays game won't be the only hot ticket in town, however, as the Penguins are making their return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday night for the first time since 2022.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Commissioner Joshua Wostal, an outspoken opponent of the deal as currently structured, presented the possibility of funding the stadium with only tourist tax dollars.—
Nicolas Villamil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The lone shot that beat Hicks was a laser of a wrist shot by Zelenov, who used the defender to shield the release from Hicks’ vision.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The goal off the bouncing loose ball came in the same stadium where Lavelle scored the lone goal in Gotham FC’s title win over Washington.—
Christian Babcock,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Featuring one-of-a-kind prints and stand out colors, each piece feels special -- like it was made just for you.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Primary dealers, a special designation set by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, are required to participate in Treasury auctions and submit bids.—
Colin Dodds,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sui%20generis. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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