1 exorbitant | Definition of exorbitant
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

exorbitant

adjective
ex·​or·​bi·​tant | \ ig-ˈzȯr-bÉ™-tÉ™nt How to pronounce exorbitant (audio) \

Definition of exorbitant

1 : not coming within the scope of the law
2 : exceeding the customary or appropriate limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size
Other Words from exorbitant Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym How Was exorbitant First Used? Example Sentences Learn More about exorbitant

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from exorbitant

exorbitantly adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for exorbitant

excessive, immoderate, inordinate, extravagant, exorbitant, extreme mean going beyond a normal limit. excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable. excessive punishment immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint. immoderate spending inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment. inordinate pride extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste. extravagant claims for the product exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree. exorbitant prices extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree. extreme shyness

How Was exorbitant First Used?

The first use of "exorbitant" in English was "wandering or deviating from the normal or ordinary course." That sense is now archaic, but it provides a hint as to the origins of "exorbitant": the word derives from Late Latin exorbitans, the present participle of the verb exorbitare, meaning "to deviate." "Exorbitare" in turn was formed by combining the prefix ex-, meaning "out of," with the noun orbita, meaning "track of a wheel or "rut." ("Orbita" itself traces back to "orbis," the Latin word for "disk" or "hoop.") In the 15th century "exorbitant" came to refer to something which fell outside of the normal or intended scope of the law. Eventually, it developed an extended sense as a synonym of "excessive."

Examples of exorbitant in a Sentence

The citizens of Xiaoli Village move lazily, with a languor born of chronic underemployment. They are farmers by tradition, but exorbitant taxes have leached any profitability out of their profession. — Hannah Beech, Time, 27 Oct. 2003 As with the black truffle, foie gras is as exorbitant ($52 a pound) as it is decadent (one gram of foie gras can reportedly be 900 calories). — Heather Morgan, Traveler, April 2000 … I recommend that the Congress adopt … [a] continuation of the law for the renegotiation of war contracts—which will prevent exorbitant profits and assure fair prices to the Government. — Franklin D. Roosevelt 11 Jan. 1944, in Nothing to Fear by B. D. Zevin,  1946 They were charged exorbitant rates for phone calls. the cost of our stay was so exorbitant you would have thought that we had bought the hotel and not just spent a few nights there
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 The hackers who had left the note subsequently asked for exorbitant sums of money to release the city’s data. — Frances Robles, New York Times, "When Ransomware Cripples a City, Who’s to Blame? This I.T. Chief Is Fighting Back," 22 Aug. 2019 These focus on the need to resolve the exorbitant inequalities in Namibian society which stem from colonial days. — Quartz Africa, "Even after acknowledging the Namibia genocide of WWI, Germany still hasn’t learned the key lesson," 10 Aug. 2019 The people who live there and are facing exorbitant rents are one set of victims of housing scarcity, but the people who don’t live there but might like to are also an important consideration. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "America’s dual housing crisis and what Democrats plan to do about it, explained," 30 July 2019 This is enough to fill a shot glass, which might sound exorbitant. — Patia Braithwaite, SELF, "You're Probably Forgetting to Put Sunscreen on These 8 Places," 18 July 2019 Many of those people use the emergency room as their primary care provider, which costs an exorbitant amount of money paid for by taxpayers. — Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, "Letters: Caring about cost of health care; A price too high to pay?; Make classrooms manageable (8/16/19)," 16 Aug. 2019 There’s a lot at stake in the 2020 elections: addressing the climate crisis, securing voting rights, taking action on gun control, and addressing exorbitant student-loan debt. — Rachel Janfaza, Teen Vogue, "Seven Young Activists to Watch Ahead of the 2020 Elections," 14 Aug. 2019 On the Express-News: Patient protests 'exorbitant' cost of rabies prevention The Cancer Society estimates 3,070 people in Texas will be diagnosed this year with a cancer caused by HPV. — Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Texas ranks near bottom for children vaccinated against HPV," 13 Aug. 2019 So now the question is: Why are safeties being paid such an exorbitant amount of money. — Gary Gramling, SI.com, "The NFL’s Top 10 Safeties | The MMQB NFL Podcast," 24 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exorbitant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of exorbitant

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for exorbitant

Middle English, from Late Latin exorbitant-, exorbitans, present participle of exorbitare to deviate, from Latin ex- + orbita track of a wheel, rut, from orbis disk, hoop

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for exorbitant

exorbitant

adjective
How to pronounce exorbitant (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of exorbitant

: going far beyond what is fair, reasonable, or expected : too high, expensive, etc.

See the full definition for exorbitant in the English Language Learners Dictionary

exorbitant

adjective
ex·​or·​bi·​tant | \ ig-ˈzȯr-bÉ™-tÉ™nt How to pronounce exorbitant (audio) \

Kids Definition of exorbitant

: more than what is fair, reasonable, or expected exorbitant prices

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!