Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
French, from Latin per excellentiam "by the way of excellence." From French par "by way of, by means of," from Latin per (see per). For second element see excellence.
Wiktionary
a. 1 Being the best of its kind. 2 Being a quintessential example of the kind in question.
WordNet
adv. to a degree of excellence; "he is the honest politician par excellence"
Usage examples of "par excellence".
I confess--I hope it will not be held against me--that it is precisely for this reason that they offer first-rate joy to a psychologist--as the opposite of all merely naive corruption, as refinement par excellence, as an artistic triumph in psychological corruption.
As Jarms' woman, as a desert fighter par excellence, and as the mother of Kaleff (by Geoff) and Orlop (by Janus), Harah found the tempo of her life quickening The greater portion of her days was spent m the stilisuit shops or the planting areas, but she devoted much time to rearing her sons and creating the home she wanted for Janus when he returned from his forays or patrols Harah's fnend Mirjna al Chima notes in her Journal that then yali, with its smooth, clean stone floor, its filmy orange hangings in the doorways, its glowglobes .
Sidney Lanier is the poet par excellence for the thirteen-year-old mentalÂ.
Our guide took us to see the Manueline window, the janela par excellence, a filigree, a collage of marine and submarine troves, seaweeds, shells, anchors, capstans, and chains, celebrating the knights' achievements on the oceans.
Sidney Lanier is the poet par excellence for the thirteen-year-old mentality, but now were all growing up, arent we?