Word of the Day : May 17, 2022

nonpareil

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adjective nahn-puh-REL

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What It Means

Nonpareil means "having no equal."

// The singer's stunning performance was nonpareil.

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nonpareil in Context

"A multitasker nonpareil, he is a musician, actor, director, author, artist, poet, playwright and composer, not to mention a self-styled pierogi-making king…." — Bill Brownstein, The Gazette (Montreal, Canada), 5 Apr. 2022

Did You Know?

Trace nonpareil back to its Middle French origins and you'll find that it comes from a term meaning "not equal." Pareil itself comes from a Latin par, which means "equal," and non- is a common prefix meaning "not." In addition to its adjectival use, nonpareil also functions as a noun describing an individual of unequaled excellence ("the nonpareil of cellists"), and as the name of a chocolate candy disk covered with small sugar pellets. A full exploration of the word's history, and its current functions in French, can be found here.