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par excellence

adverb

No English definition recorded for this entry.

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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/ / /ˌpɑːɹ ˈɛksəlɑːns/ / /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɒ̃s/

adj

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).

  1. Most excellent, variously intending

    The Santo (which is St. Antonio's church, called il Santo par excellence) […]

    At one time they were twenty-four in number; but Holland (1812) and Hughes (1814) found them reduced to ten; at Curzon's visit (1834) there were only seven; and in 1853 not more than four of these were inhabited by more than two or three monks. Meteora par excellence is the largest and perhaps the most ancient.

  2. Most excellent, variously intending

    This is the age of invention, most certainly—the age, one may say—the age par excellence.

    The mathematical reason has long been regarded as the reason par excellence.

adv

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).

  1. Because or on account of one's excellence.

    The name of Venus is in deede but bautye, And men me fayrest call, per excellencye.

  2. Most excellently, variously intending

    He was par excellence a theologian.

  3. Most excellently, variously intending

    She was par excellence the vigilant member of the house-hold.