par excellence 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpär-ˌek-sə-ˈläns How to pronounce par excellence (audio)
Definition of par excellencenext
as in excellent
of the very best kind sophisticated cuisine that is obviously the work of a chef par excellence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

par excellence

2 of 2

adverb

as in at all

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of par excellence
Adjective
The service South Africa’s hospitality culture, to many, is par excellence, and Echo’s nearly all-South African front-of-house team feels like a natural extension of this (just in briskier climes). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026 Taxidermy would become the visual medium par excellence illustrating European expansion—one far more accessible to a broader crowd than anything in books, private collections, or even early zoos. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 18 May 2026 The perception of Disney as an American institution par excellence became, in this period, a matter of legal and financial fact. — Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026 With an inventive concept inspired by the Dutch series De Verraders and a superbly dressed host, The Traitors is a murder mystery game show par excellence. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for par excellence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for par excellence
  1. excellent
  2. at all
  3. wonderful
  4. very
  5. awesome
  6. extremely
  7. lovely
  8. fully
Adjective
  • Alas, this excellent advice goes into one of Joe’s ears and out the other.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Owls are predators whose eyes are positioned on the front of their heads, giving them excellent depth perception.
    — Abigail Witmer, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adverb
  • Of course, Sophie-Rose and her friend Garrett (social-media personality Jake Shane) have no reason to care about Billie at all.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Some bat species are so mysterious that scientists are still in the dark about their population status at all.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of at all
Adjective
  • The coast on this part of Tuscany is a little wild, but wonderful for swimming, and guests have access to the boat for excursions to nearby islands and morning swims off secret coves.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Gloria lived a full, wonderful life filled with friends and great conversations and worthy causes.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adverb
  • The artists at The Library Show paid The Garage’s proposed no Milwaukee rap very little mind.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Films can change the world, or at the very least, the people who walk it.
    — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of very
Adjective
  • These ideas flew over our heads as kids, and we were mostly occupied by the pretty lights and awesome fight scenes.
    — George Yang, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Thank you for the awesome times and thank you to everyone who has worked there.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of awesome
Adverb
  • This pre-seasoned, ¼ inch thick steel heat extremely evenly with minimal disparity between the center and edges.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Search for jet quenching Previous experiments suggest that a millionth of a second after the Big Bang, even as temperatures remained extremely high, matter did not behave like gas but instead like liquid with very low viscosity.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adjective
  • The cabin interiors are built from a lovely blonde wood, which was aesthetically pleasing, if a little creaky at times, while the white linens on the comfortable queen bed were a subtle reminder that this is a luxury accommodation.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
  • McGraw gave a lovely tribute to Parton via social media this week.
    — David Wysong, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of lovely
Adverb
  • By the end of that first part, Russia had invaded Ukraine, TV Rain had been fully banned, and all of Loktev’s subjects had finally left their country.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Highly reflective blinds can reduce it by around 45% when fully closed.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fully

Browse Nearby Words

paretic
par excellence
par for the course
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Par excellence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/par%20excellence. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All