exorbitant

Etymology

From the Late Latin exorbitāns, the present active participle of exorbitō (“I go out of the track”), from ex (“out”) + orbita (“wheel-track”); see orbit. Compare the French exorbitant.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt/, /ɛɡˈzɔːbɪtənt/

Adjective

exorbitant (comparative more exorbitant, superlative most exorbitant)

1. exceeding proper limits; extravagant; excessive or unduly high.

   It's a nice car, but they are charging an exorbitant price for it.

   You also have to pay exorbitant interest if you have credit card debt.

   • 2015 January 18, Charles M. Blow, “How expensive is it to be poor [print version: International New York Times, 20 January 2015, p. 7]”, in The New York Times:

     [M]any low-income people are "unbanked" (not served by a financial institution), and thus nearly eaten alive by exorbitant fees.

Etymology

From Late Latin exorbitāns.

Adjective

exorbitant (feminine singular exorbitante, masculine plural exorbitants, feminine plural exorbitantes)

1. exorbitant
2. extortionate

Further reading

• “exorbitant” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Etymology

From Late Latin exorbitāns.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Austria)

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ant

Adjective

exorbitant (comparative exorbitanter, superlative am exorbitantesten)

1. exorbitant

Further reading

• exorbitant in Duden online