ˌən-ik-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
the physicist, now regarded as one of the brightest minds in science, was an unexceptional student as a child
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Recent Examples of unexceptional
Dad had always told me his father was a naval officer who'd had an unexceptional career and died suddenly in a traffic accident.
—
CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The monologue that led to Kimmel’s involuntary hiatus was thoroughly unexceptional for the show.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Aaron Rodgers has plenty to prove heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener after a rather unexceptional 2024 from both a team and an individual perspective.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
The site includes several unexceptional museums housed in palaces, but two must-see attractions are the Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the Gawhara Terrace for a fantastic view over Cairo.
—Nada El Sawy, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The monologue that led to Kimmel’s involuntary hiatus was thoroughly unexceptional for the show.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Aaron Rodgers has plenty to prove heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener after a rather unexceptional 2024 from both a team and an individual perspective.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
The site includes several unexceptional museums housed in palaces, but two must-see attractions are the Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the Gawhara Terrace for a fantastic view over Cairo.
—Nada El Sawy, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexceptional
Adjective
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Now that the garden is complete aside from normal plant replacements, Sterman recognizes it as the expression of her own evolution and growth as a garden designer as well as changing views on waterwise gardening.—
Nicole Sours Larson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
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The West Coast is also bracing for rising temperatures, with highs climbing to 10 to 25 degrees above normal this weekend.—
Christine Rapp,
NBC news,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Antimatter is just a form of matter made of particles that have the same mass as ordinary matter, but opposite charges and quantum properties.—
Christopher Karwin,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
Obfuscated servers make your VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTPS web traffic.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Laurie Metcalf, confirming her standing as the First Lady of the American Theater, won for her portrayal of Linda Loman, a more formidable than usual interpretation of Willy’s stalwart wife.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Above the factory floor, the big bosses determined our production goals for the day, as usual.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Conversely, the department said its review of medical school admissions data from 2023 to 2025 found that 93% of white and certain Asian applicants had MCAT scores at or above those of the average Black student.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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In 2012, the average American adult shifted focus after 74 seconds; today, that’s down to 47 seconds.—
Christian Perry,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Once the Islander opened the door, in typical Love Island USA fashion, they were prompted to kiss the other islanders with common interests.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
-
In the Veritasium video, Humphreys speculated that the Russians may have been testing the satellites’ GPS interference capabilities only briefly on a neighboring frequency adjacent to the typical GPS band.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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Tuesday’s announcement marked the rare selection of an all-male crew, which has not been commonplace at NASA for years.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Seeing an American on the roster of a top European club is now commonplace, unlike at the turn of the century.—
Julian Cardillo,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Then there was Indigo’s Hour, an unremarkable 18-year-old bourbon that did not live up to the hype (or price).—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
12 June 2026
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Based in the middle of the country, and middle of the road in terms of recent, unremarkable achievement, and unlikely to polarize or offend millions of Prince William’s future subjects, Aston Villa was the perfect choice for someone who hopes to unify rather than divide.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unexceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexceptional. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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