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exclusive

adjective

  1. excluding some group or all except some group
  2. snobbish, reserved for a select elite group
L11068 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. linguistics term; opposite of inclusive
  2. exclude, except
L320311 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈsklu.sɪv/ / /ɪkˈsklu.zɪv/

adj

Etymology: From Latin exclūsīvus, from excludere (“to shut out, exclude”), from ex- (“out”) + variant form of verb claudere (“to close, shut”).

  1. Excluding items or members that do not meet certain conditions.
  2. Referring to a membership organisation, service or product: of high quality and/or renown, for superior members only.
  3. A snobbish usage, suggesting that members who do not meet requirements, which may be financial, of social status, religion, skin colour etc., are excluded.

    Exclusive clubs tend to serve exclusive brands of food and drinks, in the same exorbitant price range, such as the 'finest' French châteaux.

  4. Exclusionary.
  5. Whole, undivided, entire.

    The teacher's pet commands the teacher's exclusive attention.

  6. Of or relating to the first-person plural pronoun when excluding the person being addressed.

    The pronoun in "We're going to a party later, but you aren't invited" is an exclusive "we".

  7. Having a romantic or sexual relationship with one another, to the exclusion of others.

    They decided to no longer be exclusive.

noun

Etymology: From Latin exclūsīvus, from excludere (“to shut out, exclude”), from ex- (“out”) + variant form of verb claudere (“to close, shut”).

  1. Information (or an artefact) that is granted or obtained exclusively.

    The editor agreed to keep a lid on a potentially disastrous political scoop in exchange for an exclusive of a happier nature.

  2. A member of a group who excludes others from their society.

    The exclusives at the English Universities apply the term CAD to all non-members.

  3. A word or phrase that restricts something, such as only, solely, or simply.