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adj

nonpareil

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Nonpareil (adj) means Without equal; unmatched by anything else.

adj
1
Without equal; unmatched by anything else.
"He informed the clerk that he would remain three or four days, inquired concerning the sailing of European steamships, and sank into the blissful inanition of the nonpareil hotel with the contented air of a traveller in his favorite inn." — O. Henry, Transients in Arcadia (1919)
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Etymology

From Late Middle English non-parail (“unparalleled, nonpareil”) [and other forms], from Middle French nonpareille, nonpareil (“unparalleled”) (obsolete), from non- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + pareil (“alike, like, same”). Pareil is derived from Old French pareil, from Late Latin pāriculus (“equal; like; of a number: even”), from Latin pār (“equal; like; of a number: even; suitable”) + -culus (a variant of -ulus (suffix forming diminutives)). Noun sense 4 (size of type standardized at 6-point) is usually taken to derive from the attractive type cut by the brothers Giovanni and Gregorio De Gregori (fl. 1482–1503 and 1496–1527 respectively) for their 1498 edition of the divine offices in Venice; it was for a long time the smallest-sized type in use.

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Rhymes for nonpareil

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of nonpareil?
"nonpareil" (adj) means without equal; unmatched by anything else.
What is another word for nonpareil?
Other words for "nonpareil" include unmatched, unrivaled, one, peerless, unrivalled, unmatchable.
What is the opposite of nonpareil?
Opposites of "nonpareil" include everyday, regular, common, pedestrian, average.

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Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · etymology from Wiktionary