Exclusieve

Exclusieve is a Dutch attributive adjective form meaning exclusive. It is used before a noun to indicate that something is restricted, privileged, or limited in availability, often conveying a sense of prestige or selectivity. The base adjective is exclusief; exclusieve is the inflected form that appears when the noun is definite or plural, or when the noun phrase requires a determiner.

Etymology and usage

Exclusieve derives from Latin exclusivus, passed into Dutch via French exclusif. In Dutch grammar, adjectives in attributive position typically take an -e ending when they accompany definite nouns or are in plural form. Therefore, you commonly encounter phrases such as een exclusieve club (an exclusive club), de exclusieve collectie (the exclusive collection), or de exclusieve aanbieding (the exclusive offer). In indefinite contexts, the same -e ending can appear, though the exact form depends on the surrounding determiners and the noun’s gender and number. Predicative use of the adjective generally employs exclusief ("the club is exclusive"), not exclusieve.

Context and nuance

Exclusieve is frequently used in marketing, fashion, hospitality, and events to signal high status, limited access, or premium quality. While it often communicates genuine exclusivity, the term can also function as a marketing device, signaling prestige regardless of objective scarcity.

Related forms

Exclusief is the base form commonly used in predicative or adverbial senses, while exclusieve is the attributive form before a noun. The contrast mirrors Dutch adjective inflection patterns in definite and plural noun phrases.