Exceptionalism
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state of being special, exceptional or unique. countable, uncountable
- 2 The belief that something (a nation, species etc.) is exceptional, superior, or does not conform to an established norm. countable, uncountable
"If Covid-19 eventually imbues human beings with some humility, it’s possible that we will, after all, be receptive to the lessons of this lethal pandemic. Or perhaps we will sink back into our culture of complacent exceptionalism and await the next plague that will surely arrive."
- 3 A philosophy of prevention or of intervention. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"Norwegian exceptionalism — this sense that there is somehow something better, nobler, wiser about Norwegians than people from any other part of the world, and that only those with protestant roots can understand this — is the very worst of what Norway has to offer."
Etymology
From exceptional + -ism.
More for "exceptionalism"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.