par excellence

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adv
  1. Because or on account of one's excellence.
  2. Most excellently, variously intending
  3. Most especially, in particular, most notably (out of a thing or person's other attributes, roles, etc.).
  4. In a superior way, in the most representative or fully-developed manner.
adj
  1. Most excellent, variously intending
  2. Being the proper or truest example of a general name.
  3. Being a quintessential example of a general type.

Pronunciation

/ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/ /ˌpɑːɹ ˈɛksəlɑːns/ /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɒ̃s/ /ˌpɑːɹ ˈɛksəlɒ̃s/ /ˌpɑr ˌɛksəˈlɑn(t)s/ /ˌpɑɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑns/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Neøn-par excellence.wav

Word forms

par excellence

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French par excellence (“excellently, in an especially representative way; above all”), a calque of Latin per excellentiam, itself a calque of Ancient Greek κατ’ ἐξοχήν (kat’ exokhḗn).

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