par excellence
/pɑ:r'eksəlỴ:ns/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adverb:
- To a degree of excellence; being the best or most typical example of its kind: Used after a noun to indicate that the person or thing mentioned is the supreme or most outstanding example of that category.
Usage
- The phrase par excellence is used postpositively, meaning it is placed after the noun it modifies. It is not used before a noun.
- It is often used to single out one example as the best or most definitive among others of the same type.
- It is a formal term borrowed from French.
Examples
- Adverb:
- He is a scholar par excellence. (He is an outstanding scholar, the very best example of a scholar.)
- This restaurant is the Italian bistro par excellence in our city. (It is considered the finest and most authentic example of an Italian bistro here.)
- She is a diplomat par excellence. (She embodies the qualities of an excellent diplomat to the highest degree.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase can sometimes be used with a slightly ironic or hyperbolic tone, though it generally conveys genuine praise.
- He is a procrastinator par excellence, always leaving everything until the last possible minute. (Here, it humorously emphasizes he is the ultimate example of a procrastinator.)
Variants and Related Words
- Preeminent (adj): Surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way. ()
- Quintessential (adj): Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class. ()
- Archetypal (adj): Very typical of a certain kind of person or thing. ()
Synonyms
- Preeminently
- Supremely
- Unsurpassedly
- Outstandingly
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
- While par excellence itself is a fixed phrase, it functions similarly to English superlative idioms like:
- The best of the best
- In a class of its own
- Without equal
Adverb
- to a degree of excellence
- he is the honest politician par excellence