exceptional

Pluralexceptionals

1. 1
   adjective

   Much better than what is usual or normal.

   Like a student who scores far higher than everyone else in the class.

   She has an exceptional voice, and everyone loves to hear her sing.

   The young team showed exceptional skill in the final match.

   Similaroutstanding, remarkable, extraordinary, excellent, superb

   Oppositeaverage, mediocre, ordinary, unremarkable

2. 2
   adjective

   Not normal or usual, and happening only very rarely.

   Like seeing snow fall in a hot desert: it almost never happens.

   Rain in this desert is exceptional and surprises everyone who lives here.

   It was an exceptional case that the old rules did not cover.

   Similarunusual, uncommon, rare, extraordinary, atypical

   Oppositeordinary, usual, common, normal

   Note
3. 3
   adjective

   Needing special teaching because a child is very gifted or has a disability.

   Like a shoe made to fit one special foot, because a regular size won't work.

   Exceptional students often work with teachers who have special training.

   The school runs a small program for exceptional children.

   Note
4. 4
   nouncountable

   A person or thing that is very unusual or much better than the rest.

   Like the one gold coin hidden in a pile of pennies.

   Most of the apples were ordinary, but every basket held one exceptional.

   The judges set the exceptionals aside for a closer look.

   Similaroutlier, anomaly

   Note
5. 5
   adjective

   In math, describing a shape that matches something smaller under a special change.

   Like a balloon squeezed flat until it becomes just a tiny dot.

   Blowing up a point creates an exceptional curve in its place.

   The exceptional line maps down to a single point on the surface.

   Note

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