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
Yet the stresses of Series games are sui generis, sometimes requiring extraordinary exertions.
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Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
No artist is completely original, but time has proven Lady Gaga sui generis.
—Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
Parker was often abrasive, but Crowther considers Parker empathetically, as a sui generis who resisted becoming a cog in the filmmaking machinery.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
The Religious is the sui generis otherworldly; the Media is the epitome of the profane this-worldly.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sui generis 
Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
No artist is completely original, but time has proven Lady Gaga sui generis.
—Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
Parker was often abrasive, but Crowther considers Parker empathetically, as a sui generis who resisted becoming a cog in the filmmaking machinery.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
The Religious is the sui generis otherworldly; the Media is the epitome of the profane this-worldly.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sui generis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sui generis
Adjective
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The only money Plaintiff had remaining was a twenty-dollar bill.KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
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Only 14 players in the NBA are reaching all three of those statistical thresholds, and Siakam joins Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero, and Joel Embiid as the only ones doing it in the Eastern Conference.Tony East, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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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
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Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson both emerged from the Negro Ensemble Company, once America’s foremost black theatrical institution, but its influence came from mainstream media, which shifted interest to the lone figure of August Wilson in the mid ’80s.Armond White, National Review, 27 Dec. 2024
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Interestingly, months before the event in a lone 25-meter race dual meet against Florida, Walsh broke three American records and set a new world record in 100 IM, giving the fans an idea of what to expect in Budapest.Paras J. Haji, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Kate Middleton is recording her own special Christmas message.Simon Perry, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024
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Bill Murray memorably sang it in his 2015 Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas.Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Of course, there is more to the unique position Meghan now occupies on the world stage than the Sussexes’ new-look international promo trips, but these subtle shifts are instructive.Kerry McDermott, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024
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Enameled cast iron, however, is unique, and cooks are fond of it for its versatility, which is all the more reason to take care when cleaning it after cooking.Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sui%20generis. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
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