Phrase guide

par excellence

adj · adv · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/
  • UK: /ˌpɑːɹ ˈɛksəlɑːns/
  • UK: /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɒ̃s/
  • UK: /ˌpɑːɹ ˈɛksəlɒ̃s/
  • US: /ˌpɑr ˌɛksəˈlɑn(t)s/
  • US: /ˌpɑɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑns/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Most excellent, variously intending

Being the proper or truest example of a general name.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, postpositional

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Most excellent, variously intending

Being a quintessential example of a general type.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, postpositional

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Because or on account of one's excellence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Most excellently, variously intending

Most especially, in particular, most notably (out of a thing or person's other attributes, roles, etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

Most excellently, variously intending

In a superior way, in the most representative or fully-developed manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

to a degree of excellence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he is the honest politician par excellence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

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).

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: per antonomàsia — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Catalan: per excel·lència — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Dutch: bij uitstek — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Finnish: loistava — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Finnish: par excellence — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • German: par excellence — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • German: schlechthin — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Greek: κατ’ εξοχήν (kat’ exochín) — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Ancient Greek: κατ’ ἐξοχήν (kat’ exokhḗn) — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Italian: per eccellenza — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Polish: par excellence — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Spanish: por antonomasia — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Spanish: por excelencia — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Swedish: framför alla andra — being a quintessential example of a general type
  • Swedish: par excellence — being a quintessential example of a general type