par excellence

English

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French par excellence (“excellently, in an especially representative way; above all”), a calque of Latin per excellentiam, itself a calque of Ancient Greek κατ' ἐξοχήν (kat' exokhḗn).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/, /ˌpɑːɹ ˈɛksəlɑːns/, /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɒ̃s/, /ˌpɑːɹ ˈɛksəlɒ̃s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌpɑɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑns/

Adverb

par excellence (not comparable)

1. Because or on account of one's excellence.
   • 1584, George Peele, The Araygnement of Paris, ii, i:

     The name of Venus is in deede but bautye,
     And men me fayrest call, per excellencye.

2. Most excellently, variously intending
   1. Most especially, in particular, most notably (out of a thing or person's other attributes, roles, etc.).
      • 2009, John Murray, “Introduction”, in John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion:

        He was par excellence a theologian.

   2. In a superior way, in the most representative or fully-developed manner.
      • 1877, William Worthington Fowler, Woman on the American Frontier, page 99:

        She was par excellence the vigilant member of the house-hold.

Usage notes

Now frequently italicized as a self-consciously foreign expression. As an adverb, usually placed before the descriptive noun or noun phrase.

Synonyms

• (most excellently): pre-eminently, supremely, above all

Adjective

par excellence (not comparable)

1. (postpositive) Most excellent, variously intending
   1. Being the proper or truest example of a general name.
      • 1695 (published 1845), Earl of Perth, Letters, p. 61:

        The Santo (which is St. Antonio's church, called il Santo par excellence) […]

      • 1883, "Meteora" in the Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. XVI, p. 114:

        At one time they were twenty-four in number; but Holland (1812) and Hughes (1814) found them reduced to ten; at Curzon's visit (1834) there were only seven; and in 1853 not more than four of these were inhabited by more than two or three monks. Meteora par excellence is the largest and perhaps the most ancient.

   2. Being a quintessential example of a general type.
      • 1839 August, Edgar Allan Poe, Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, page 68:

        This is the age of invention, most certainly—the age, one may say—the age par excellence.

      • 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, “The Purloined Letter”, in Tales, page 212:

        The mathematical reason has long been regarded as the reason par excellence.

Usage notes

Now frequently italicized as a self-consciously foreign usage. As an adjective, usually used as a post-modifier after the descriptive noun or noun phrase.

Synonyms

• (truest example of a general name): See proper

Translations

being a quintessential example of a general type

• Catalan: per antonomàsia (ca), per excel·lència
• Dutch: bij uitstek (nl)
• Finnish: loistava (fi), par excellence
• German: par excellence (de)
• Greek: κατ' εξοχήν (kat' exochín)

  Ancient: κατ' ἐξοχήν (kat' exokhḗn)

• Polish: par excellence (pl)
• Spanish: por antonomasia (es), por excelencia
• Swedish: framför alla andra, par excellence (sv)

References

• "par excellence, adv. and adj.", in the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

French

Etymology

Calque of Latin per excellentiam.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pa.ʁ‿ɛk.sɛ.lɑ̃s/, /pa.ʁ‿ɛk.se.lɑ̃s/

Adjective

par excellence (invariable)

1. par excellence, quintessential, ultimate

See also

• dans toute sa splendeur

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French par excellence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpar ɛ.ksɛˈlãs/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛksɛlãs

Particle

par excellence

1. (idiomatic, literary) par excellence (most excellently)

   Synonyms: ex definitione, siłą rzeczy, z definicji, z natury rzeczy, z założenia

Further reading

• par excellence in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• par excellence in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Swedish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French par excellence. First attested in 1886.

Adjective

par excellence (not comparable)

1. par excellence; being a quintessential example of a general type.
   • 2019 August 3, Per Klingberg, “Medryckande chosefri blick på monumentet Leonardo. [Captivating ingenuous view of the monument Leonardo.]”, in Svenska Dagbladet:

     Som ingen annan har Leonardo da Vinci kommit att symbolisera renässansmänniskan par excellence.

     Like no one else, Leonardo da Vinci has come to symbolize the renaissance man par excellence.

   • 2021 July 6, “Det är otroligt trist att mat har blivit en statussymbol” (27:08 from the start), in Fråga Agnes Wold‎^[1], spoken by Agnes Wold, Sveriges Radio:

     Sen så har vi det här med ... alltså vallningar det är ju klimakteriet symtomet par excellence, det liksom är ju det enda som är riktigt fastlagt.

     Then we have ... I mean, hot flashes, it is the menopause symptom par excellence, it is like the only thing that has been really established.

   • 2023 June 2, Thomas Hermansson, “Startsträckan närmar sig slutet [The starting stretch is nearing the end]”, in Barometern:

     Bland Tidöpartierna är Moderaterna regeringspartiet par excellence.

     Among the Tidö parties, the Moderates are the government party par excellence.