Word of the Day
: September 23, 2025nonpareil
playWhat It Means
Nonpareil describes that which has no equal because it is better than any other.
// To this day, the band's debut album is still considered nonpareil, raising the bar for every rock group to follow.
nonpareil in Context
"The Crew's soccer operations have been nonpareil during this latest golden era of their history." — Michael Arace, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 24 Feb. 2025
Did You Know?
Trace nonpareil back to its Middle French origins and you'll find that it comes from a term meaning "not equal." Pareil itself comes from the Latin word par, which means "equal," and non- is a common prefix meaning "not." In addition to its adjectival use, nonpareil also functions as a noun referring to an individual of unequaled excellence (as in "the nonpareil of cellists") as well as to a chocolate candy disk covered with small sugar pellets. A full exploration of the word's history, and its current functions in French, can be found here.
Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes
Quiz
Rearrange the letters to form a word that refers to both a mushroom and a candy made of chocolate, butter, sugar, and sometimes liqueur shaped into balls and often coated with cocoa: FRUFTEL
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