adj.
- Excluding or tending to exclude: exclusive barriers.
- Not allowing something else; incompatible: mutually exclusive conditions.
- Not divided or shared with others: exclusive publishing rights.
- Not accompanied by others; single or sole: your exclusive function.
- Complete; undivided: gained their exclusive attention.
- Not including the specified extremes or limits, but only the area between them: 20-25, exclusive; that is, 21, 22, 23 and 24.
- Excluding some or most, as from membership or participation: an exclusive club.
- Catering to a wealthy clientele; expensive: exclusive shops.
- Linguistics. Of, relating to, or being a first person plural pronoun that excludes the addressee, such as we in the sentence Chris and I will be in town tomorrow, so we can stop by your office.
- A news item initially released to only one publication or broadcaster.
- An exclusive right or privilege, as to market a product.
exclusiveness ex·clu'sive·ness or ex'clu·siv'i·ty (ĕk'sklū-sĭv'ĭ-tē) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
