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Synonyms

par excellence

American  
[pahr ek-suh-lahns, ek-suh-lans, pa-rek-se-lahns] / pɑr ˌɛk səˈlɑns, ˈɛk səˌlæns, pa rɛk sɛˈlɑ̃s /

adjective

  1. being an example of excellence; superior; preeminent (used postpositively).

    a chef par excellence.


adverb

  1. above all; preeminently.

    His method stands par excellence as the most reliable of all.

par excellence British  
/ pɑːr ˈɛksələns, par ɛksɛlɑ̃s /

adverb

  1. to a degree of excellence; beyond comparison

    she is the charitable lady par excellence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of par excellence

From French

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“He has a vision for our country. He has knowledge of issues par excellence from all of the years that he’s served. He’s a strategic thinker,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet these scourges aren’t unique to Mexico, the author points out—they exist around the world, even in “the countries that pride themselves on being the democracies par excellence.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The director of the Colosseum Archeological Park, which includes the Palatine Hill, in a written description of the restored palazzo, dubbed it “the power palace par excellence.”

From Seattle Times

“We have contaminated things par excellence, and only by accepting mixture do we become ourselves and our own. There’s not a single sci-fi concept we haven’t taken and adapted to our context, turned mestizo‌.”

From New York Times

His critique of the religious impulse, his deep interest in the human mind and his compulsive correspondence with peers, building connections, are all humanistic activities par excellence.

From Washington Post