exclusiveness
UK[ɪkˈskluːsɪvnəs]US[ɪkˈskluːsɪvnəs]
n
the quality of being exclusive; the state of being limited to a particular person, group, or area and not available to others.
n
the tendency to exclude others, especially from social, economic, or political advantages.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
clus
ive
ness
ex
clus
ive
ness
Etymology
The word 'exclusiveness' is built upon the Latin verb 'claudere', meaning 'to shut or close', prefixed with 'ex-', meaning 'out'. The core concept is thus 'shutting out'. The adjective-forming suffix '-ive' was added to create 'exclusive', describing something that serves to shut others out or is limited to a select group. Finally, the Old English abstract noun suffix '-ness' was appended to form 'exclusiveness', denoting the state or quality of being exclusive. This etymological journey, from the physical act of closing a door to the modern abstract concepts of social restriction and selectivity, perfectly illustrates how a concrete root evolves into a term describing complex social dynamics.
Analysis
Structure: ex + clus + ive + ness
- ex (Latin origin, prefix): A prefix meaning 'out of', 'from', or 'thoroughly'.
- clus (Latin origin, bound root): Derived from the past participle stem of 'claudere', meaning 'to shut' or 'to close'.
- ive (Latin origin, suffix): An adjective-forming suffix meaning 'tending to', 'having the nature of', or 'performing the action of'.
- ness (Old English origin, suffix): A noun-forming suffix used to create abstract nouns indicating a state, quality, or condition.
Examples
The exclusiveness of the private club was maintained by a strict membership policy.
The neighborhood's sense of exclusiveness was heightened by its gated entrance.
Critics accused the government of fostering economic exclusiveness through its policies.