Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness: exorbitant prices. See Synonyms at excessive.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Deviating from proper limitation or rule; excessively enlarged or extended; out of order or proportion.
- Going beyond the bounds of reason; extravagantly exacting or exacted; inordinate; excessive: as, exorbitant charges or prices; an exorbitant usurer.
- Synonyms Inordinate, unreasonable, unconscionable.
Wiktionary
- adj. exceeding proper limits; extravagant; excessive or unduly high
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Departing from an orbit or usual track; hence, deviating from the usual or due course; going beyond the appointed rules or established limits of right or propriety; excessive; extravagant; enormous; inordinate.
- adj. Not comprehended in a settled rule or method; anomalous.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
Etymologies
- Middle English, aberrant, flagrant, from Old French, excessive, extreme, from Late Latin exorbitāns, exorbitant-, present participle of exorbitāre, to deviate : Latin ex-, ex- + Latin orbita, path, track; see orbit.
Examples
“Koji Sasahara/Associated Press Presidents of major Japanese auto makers on Monday attended a joint press conference in Tokyo demanding the end of what they called exorbitant taxes on cars, which threaten to wipe out jobs.”
“The presidents demanded the end of what they called exorbitant taxes on cars.”
“Cablevision in both matters refused to pay what they called exorbitant fees that would ultimately be passed on to customers.”
“Reining in exorbitant executive pay packages that are draining resources is one way to do that.”
“Now comes the day of instant short-term performance; certain exorbitant fees for bankers; and some clients foregoing a long relationship for a basis point or two; and some investment bankers hungry for fees forgetting about relationships.”
North to Canada: An American Investment Banker Looks At Canada Today
“Columbus negotiates with the queen, who considers his terms exorbitant 414-416”
The Discovery of America Vol. 1 (of 2) with some account of Ancient America and the Spanish Conquest
“Clark County firefighters have long been criticized for having what some call exorbitant salaries.”
“We have benefitted for decades from what former French President Charles de Gaulle famously called the "exorbitant privilege" of borrowing in our own currency while most countries borrow in a foreign currency.”
The Wall Street Journal: The Folly of Economic Short-Termism
“At the garage sale, each item had a tag with exorbitant original price taped to it and "Make Offer" written over that in black felt pen.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘exorbitant’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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ficciones's list
encyclopedic
imbroglio, splendour, brilliance, labyrinth, vast, precipice, ebb and flow, tidal, crevasse, resonate, redolent, prudent and 55 more...
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Chelsea's list
acedia, braggadocio, abnegation, equanimity, flibbertigibbet, edentulous, debonair, hypnotic, pococurante, logorrhea, euonym, feckless and 23 more...
Noelle Knight This was why the fee for the hotel was exorbitant. -Charlaine Harris, Living Dead in Dallas Dec 10, 2010