peculiar
Americanadjective
-
strange; queer; odd.
peculiar happenings.
-
uncommon; unusual.
the peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats.
- Synonyms:
- exceptional , singular , extraordinary
- Antonyms:
- common
-
distinctive in nature or character from others.
-
belonging characteristically (usually followed byto ).
an expression peculiar to Canadians.
-
belonging exclusively to some person, group, or thing.
the peculiar properties of a drug.
- Synonyms:
- unique , special , particular , personal , individual
- Antonyms:
- common
-
Astronomy. designating a star or galaxy with special properties that deviates from others of its spectral type or galaxy class.
noun
-
a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.
-
British. a particular parish or church that is exempted from the jurisdiction of the ordinary or bishop in whose diocese it lies and is governed by another.
-
Also called arbitraries. British Printing. peculiars. special characters not generally included in standard type fonts, as phonetic symbols, mathematical symbols, etc.
adjective
-
strange or unusual; odd
a peculiar individual
a peculiar idea
-
distinct from others; special
-
belonging characteristically or exclusively (to)
peculiar to North America
noun
-
Also called: arbitrary. printing a special sort, esp an accented letter
-
Church of England a church or parish that is exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose diocese it lies
Related Words
See strange.
Other Word Forms
- peculiarly adverb
- unpeculiar adjective
- unpeculiarly adverb
Etymology
Origin of peculiar
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; from Latin pecūliāris “as one's own,” equivalent to pecūli(um) “property” (derivative of pecū “flock, farm animals”; akin to pecus “cattle” ( fee )) + -āris -ar 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So the most peculiar puzzle was the slump in the price of bonds.
From MarketWatch
One peculiar part of the puzzle is why people are still so fascinated with a 111-year-old ship.
From Salon
The yellow crazy ant’s peculiar way of reproducing may give it an edge as an invader.
From Washington Post
But under a peculiar policy from the 1990s, the state’s funding taps out when students needing special education account for more 13.5% of a district’s enrollment.
From Seattle Times
We learned about the peculiar rock ‘n’ roll Ralphs, with which most of us were somehow unfamiliar but one of us had frequented.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
