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
There is in fact nothing sui generis about Belarus’s nonviolent protests, nor are they rooted in the pandemic.
—
Maryia Sadouskaya-Komlach, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2020
Yet the stresses of Series games are sui generis, sometimes requiring extraordinary exertions.
—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
See all Example Sentences for sui generis 
Maryia Sadouskaya-Komlach, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2020
Yet the stresses of Series games are sui generis, sometimes requiring extraordinary exertions.
—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
See all Example Sentences for sui generis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sui generis
Adjective
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The only results, so far, have been the sketch of an E.U.-U.K. security pact and a bilateral deal with Germany, focussed mainly on defense and technology.—
Sam Knight,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
-
As the only First Lady to maintain external employment during her time at the White House, Dr. Biden represented a departure from tradition.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2025
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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The Lakers will play four of their next five games at home, with their lone road game coming against the Clippers at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN,
14 Jan. 2025
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Those matchups include Hornets’ home outings against the Lakers on Jan. 27, the LA Clippers on Jan. 31, the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 5, and the Golden State Warriors on March 3 for Curry’s lone visit to Spectrum Center in 2024-25.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Visit Anaheim: People affected by the wildfires can visit Visit Anaheim’s official website and find special hotel offers and assistance.—
Janhvi Bhojwani,
NBC News,
10 Jan. 2025
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The 73-page civil complaint, filed Thursday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, names special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey, First District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies and the Santa Fe County commission.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The bout of high inflation was a once-in-a-generation event that spun out of a once-in-a-century pandemic and was not unique to the US.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN,
19 Jan. 2025
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Charlotte and Louis' future is slightly less certain since William and Kate have more flexibility to mold a unique path for their second and third-born children.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sui generis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sui%20generis. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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