exclusive

adj, noun — 10 senses

exclusive

adj

US, UK /ɪkˈsklu.sɪv/

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

7 senses
  1. 1Excluding items or members that do not meet certain conditions.
  2. 2Referring to a membership organisation, service or…
  3. 3A snobbish usage, suggesting that members who do not…
  4. 4Exclusionary.
  5. 5Whole, undivided, entire.
  6. 6Of or relating to the first-person plural pronoun when…
  7. 7Having a romantic or sexual relationship with one…
1

Literally Excluding items or members that do not meet certain conditions.

2

Figuratively 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

Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences 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.

Of two people in a romantic or sexual relationship

  • They decided to no longer be exclusive.
Antonyms
inclusive, non-exclusive
Derived terms
exclusive disjunction, exclusive economic zone, exclusively, exclusive necrophiliac, exclusiveness, exclusive-or, exclusive or, exclusive right, exclusivism, exclusivist, exclusivity, exclusivize, mutually exclusive, superexclusive, timed exclusive, ultraexclusive, unexclusive, XAND, XNAND, XNOR
Related terms
excludent

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.1873, The Slang Dictionary, John Camden Hotten:
3

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences A word or phrase that restricts something, such as only, solely, or simply.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.