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WEKU
Emily Olson

'Pelé' now officially means 'exceptional,' a Brazilian dictionary declares

Pelé Brazil Edson Arantes Do Nascimento Soccer World Cup
Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, poses with his six Brazil's champion medals in 2010. A Portuguese language dictionary has recognized his name as a synonym for greatness. (Caio Leal/AFP via Getty Images)

To sports writers and soccer fans, the word "Pelé" isn't just the nickname for one of soccer's greatest players but a synonym for being the best. Now a Portuguese-language dictionary is making that meaning official.

The Michaelis dictionary, one of Brazil's most popular, added "Pelé" to its online edition Wednesday, defining it as an adjective that can be used to describe "someone who is out of the ordinary, who or who by virtue of their quality, value or superiority cannot be equaled to anything or anyone."

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