# exclusive

/ɪkˈskɫusɪv/ (US) · /ɛksklˈuːsɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/exclusive
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. limited to a few

adjective · CEFR B2

limited to a specific group of people and not available to everyone.

For teachers: restricting access to a specific group, often based on wealth, status, or membership criteria.

- The hotel has an exclusive beach that only guests are allowed to use.
- The club maintains an exclusive membership policy, requiring recommendations from at least three current members before an application is even considered.

### 2. expensive or high-class

adjective · CEFR B2

expensive, high-quality, and often used by famous or wealthy people.

For teachers: denoting high social status, luxury, or superior quality intended for an elite clientele.

- She shops at exclusive boutiques in the center of Paris.
- The developer transformed the historic warehouse into a series of exclusive penthouses catering to the city's wealthiest investors.

### 3. not including others

adjective · CEFR B2

not shared with anyone else, such as a romantic relationship or a right.

For teachers: not shared or divided; sole or undivided in possession or relationship.

- After dating for six months, they decided to be exclusive.
- The company holds the exclusive rights to distribute the software throughout the European market for the next five years.

### 4. we (not you)

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

used to describe the word 'we' when it does not include the person you are talking to.

For teachers: referring to the first-person plural pronoun when it excludes the addressee.

- In some languages, there is a special 'exclusive we' that leaves out the listener.
- The researcher noted that the dialect employs an exclusive first-person plural, clearly separating the speaker's kin group from the interviewer.

Usage: Used in linguistics to distinguish between 'we' (me and them) and 'we' (me and you).

### 5. a news scoop

noun · CEFR C1 · General-service

a story or interview published by only one newspaper or television station.

For teachers: an item of news or a feature published or broadcast by only one source.

- The magazine managed to get an exclusive with the famous actor.
- The newspaper's political correspondent secured an exclusive on the cabinet reshuffle, beating all the major networks to the story.

## Examples

- The magazine published an exclusive with the famous actor.
- The local newspaper secured an exclusive on the mayor's resignation before the national networks even heard the rumor.
- In an era of rapid digital aggregation, securing a genuine exclusive remains the primary way for traditional news outlets to distinguish their brand and drive subscription growth.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.