particular

[ per-tik-yuh-ler, puh-tik- ]

/ pərˈtɪk yə lər, pəˈtɪk- /

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See synonyms for: particular / particulars on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to a single or specific person, thing, group, class, occasion, etc., rather than to others or all; special rather than general: one's particular interests in books.

immediately present or under consideration; in this specific instance or place: Look at this particular clause in the contract.

distinguished or different from others or from the ordinary; noteworthy; marked; unusual: She sang with particular warmth at last evening's concert.

exceptional or especial: Take particular pains with this job.

being such in an exceptional degree: a particular friend of mine.

dealing with or giving details, as an account or description, of a person; detailed; minute.

exceptionally selective, attentive, or exacting; fastidious; fussy: to be particular about one's food.

Logic.

not general; referring to an indefinite part of a whole class.
(of a proposition) containing only existential quantifiers.
partaking of the nature of an individual as opposed to a class.

Law.

noting an estate that precedes a future or ultimate ownership, as lands devised to a widow during her lifetime and after that to her children.
noting the tenant of such an estate.

noun

an individual or distinct part, as an item of a list or enumeration.

Usually particulars. specific points, details, or circumstances: to give an investigator the particulars of a case.

Logic. an individual or a specific group within a general class.

OTHER WORDS FOR particular

1, 2 specific.

2 distinct; discrete.

3 notable.

6 scrupulous, careful, exact, precise.

7 discriminating; finical, finicky.

10 feature, particularity.

See synonyms for particular on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR particular

3 ordinary.

6 inexact.

7 undiscriminating.

See antonyms for particular on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about particular

in particular, particularly; specifically; especially: There is one book in particular that may help you.

Origin of particular

1350–1400; <Late Latin particulāris, equivalent to Latin particul(a) particle + -āris-ar¹; replacing Middle English particuler<Middle French <Late Latin, as above

synonym study for particular

1. See special. 7. Particular, dainty, fastidious imply great care, discrimination, and taste in choices, in details about one's person, etc. Particular implies especially care and attention to details: particular about one's clothes. Dainty implies delicate taste and exquisite cleanliness: a dainty dress. Fastidious implies being difficult to please and critical of small or minor points: a fastidious taste in styles.

OTHER WORDS FROM particular

o·ver·par·tic·u·lar, adjectiveo·ver·par·tic·u·lar·ly, adverbun·par·tic·u·lar, adjective

Words nearby particular

particle physics, particle separation, particle velocity, parti-colored, parti-coloured, particular, particular affirmative, particular average, particularism, particularity, particularize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use particular in a sentence

In the past year, the conversation about bird names has taken on a particular sense of urgency.
Inside the Movement to Abolish Colonialist Bird Names|Nathalie Alonso|February 12, 2021|Outside Online
They’re choosing some combination of sensitive and non-sensitive questions, ostensibly because the payment isn’t enough to overcome some of the problems that they might have with asking particular sensitive questions.
Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question? (Ep. 451)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 11, 2021|Freakonomics
As part of that second leaderboard, he is the king of Super Bowls in particular.
All The Ways That Tom Brady Is Football’s GOAT|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|February 9, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
At that time, the strategist said Weaver did nothing to suggest he had an interest in men, let alone an interest in the strategist in particular.
Lincoln Project’s avowed ignorance of Weaver texts undercut by leaked communications|Chris Johnson|February 9, 2021|Washington Blade

Home Games has developed three products in particular to optimize mobile game creation.
Hyper casual game publisher Homa Games raises $15 million|Romain Dillet|February 9, 2021|TechCrunch
There is a particular focus in the magazine on attacking the United States, which al Qaeda calls a top target.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For those living in poor communities in particular, interactions with police rarely come with good news and a smile.
How to Solve the Policing Crisis|Keli Goff|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He stopped at one point to ask someone directions to a particular housing development.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lack of a cannon is a particular problem, as the F-35 is being counted on to help out infantrymen under fire.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Americans move around a lot, making it hard to form attachments to any particular place.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In particular the Governor of Adinskoy offered us a guard of fifty men to the next station, if we apprehended any danger.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
But I doubt if he feels any particular emotion himself, when he is piercing you through with his rendering.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
No one ever argued with Levison; all understood that this particular phrase was final.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
One old aunt in particular visited him twice a year, and stayed six months each time.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
It is the will directing the activity of the intellect into some particular channel and keeping it there.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)

British Dictionary definitions for particular

particular

/ (pəˈtɪkjʊlə) /

adjective

(prenominal) of or belonging to a single or specific person, thing, category, etc; specific; specialthe particular demands of the job; no particular reason

(prenominal) exceptional or markeda matter of particular importance

(prenominal) relating to or providing specific details or circumstancesa particular account

exacting or difficult to please, esp in details; fussy

(of the solution of a differential equation) obtained by giving specific values to the arbitrary constants in a general equation

logic (of a proposition) affirming or denying something about only some members of a class of objects, as in some men are not wickedCompare universal (def. 10)

property law denoting an estate that precedes the passing of the property into ultimate ownershipSee also remainder (def. 3), reversion (def. 4)

noun

a separate distinct item that helps to form a generalization: opposed to general

(often plural) an item of information; detailcomplete in every particular

logic another name for individual (def. 7a)

philosophy an individual object, as contrasted with a universalSee universal (def. 12b)

in particular especially, particularly, or exactly

Word Origin for particular

C14: from Old French particuler, from Late Latin particulāris concerning a part, from Latin particula particle v

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with particular

particular

see in particular.

particular

OTHER WORDS FOR particular

OPPOSITES FOR particular

Idioms about particular

Origin of particular

synonym study for particular

OTHER WORDS FROM particular

Words nearby particular

Words related to particular

How to use particular in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for particular

Word Origin for particular

Other Idioms and Phrases with particular