exclusive

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​clu·​sive ik-ˈsklü-siv How to pronounce exclusive (audio)
-ziv
1
a
: excluding or having power to exclude
b
: limiting or limited to possession, control, or use by a single individual or group
2
a
: excluding others from participation
b
: snobbishly aloof
3
a
: accepting or soliciting only a socially restricted patronage (as of the upper class)
c
: restricted in distribution, use, or appeal because of expense
4
a
: single, sole
exclusive jurisdiction
b
: whole, undivided
his exclusive attention
exclusiveness noun

exclusive

2 of 2

noun

: something exclusive: such as
a
: a news story at first released to or reported by only one source
b
: an exclusive right (as to sell a particular product in a certain area)

Did you know?

In words such as expel, export, and exclusive, the prefix ex- means "out of, outside". Thus, to exclude means basically to close the door in order to keep someone or something out. When the word appears in an advertisement, it's often making an appeal to snobs. An "exclusive" offer is supposedly made to only a few people; not so many years ago, "exclusive" housing developments excluded those of a certain race or color. If a product is being sold exclusively by one store, you won't be able to find it anywhere else. When a newspaper or news show has an exclusive, it's a story that no one else has yet reported. Exclusive's antonym is inclusive; an inclusive policy, an inclusive church, or an inclusive approach is one that aims to include as many people as possible.

Examples of exclusive in a Sentence

Adjective He belongs to an exclusive club. She attended an exclusive private school. one of the city's most exclusive restaurants They gave their exclusive attention to the job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Smartphone Hacked During $1 Million Zero Day Spree Pearl (2022) 215 reviews — 93% approval rating Forbes Daily: Join over 1 million Forbes Daily subscribers and get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day’s news in your inbox every weekday. Travis Bean, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Trump is courting the male youth vote and an interview on Rogan’s show was a top prize for the candidates, as the show, which recently opened up from being exclusive to Spotify, is now available on other platforms as well, including Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2024
Noun
Kmart also had exclusives with Sesame Street and Disney. David Moin, WWD, 21 Oct. 2024 Secretly Posting About Using Drugs October 17, 2024 On Wednesday, a WIRED exclusive revealed that one of J.D. Leah Feiger, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for exclusive 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exclusive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exclusive was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near exclusive

Cite this Entry

“Exclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exclusive. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

exclusive

adjective
ex·​clu·​sive
iks-ˈklü-siv,
-ziv
1
: excluding or trying to exclude others
an exclusive neighborhood
2
: sole entry 4 sense 2a
we have exclusive use of the beach
3
: full entry 1 sense 2c, complete
gave their exclusive attention to the job
exclusively adverb
exclusiveness noun

Legal Definition

exclusive

adjective
ex·​clu·​sive
1
a
: excluding or having power to exclude others
exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveriesU.S. Constitution art. I
b
: being independent from or not shared by others : sole
exclusive control
exclusive use
2
: limiting or limited to possession, ownership, or use by a single individual or group
an exclusive lease

More from Merriam-Webster on exclusive

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