exceptional
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
much better than what is usual or expected.
surpassing the average in quality or ability; superior.
Simple“The young pianist gave an exceptional performance that moved the entire audience.”
In context“The chef's exceptional attention to detail transformed a simple dish into a culinary masterpiece that justified the restaurant's high prices.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
very unusual and not happening often.
forming an exception to the normal rule or pattern; statistically rare.
Simple“The company will only allow a refund in exceptional circumstances.”
In context“The court granted an appeal only because the legal errors in the original trial were truly exceptional.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
used to describe children who need special help at school because they are very gifted or have disabilities.
referring to students who require specialised instructional programmes due to physical, mental, or emotional disabilities, or giftedness.
Simple“The school provides extra resources for exceptional children to help them reach their full potential.”
In context“The district's budget for exceptional learners includes funding for both advanced placement courses and specialised speech therapy services.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun 'student', 'child', or 'learner'.
Teacher's tipIn modern education, this is a neutral umbrella term for both gifted students and those with learning challenges.
Synonyms
Usage exceptional circumstances
“The heat is not confined to Europe as Japan and the Republic of Korea recorded exceptional and record-breaking temperatures last week, as did other parts of Asia, the Middle East and Latin America .”
“Asylum seekers are not eligible for social housing, unless in exceptional circumstances such as domestic abuse cases.”
From exception + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.