peculiar

[pi-kyool-yer]

adjective

1. strange; queer; odd.

   peculiar happenings.

   Synonyms: bizarre, eccentric

2. uncommon; unusual.

   the peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats.

   Synonyms: exceptional, singular, extraordinary
   Antonyms: common

3. distinctive in nature or character from others.

4. belonging characteristically (usually followed byto ).

   an expression peculiar to Canadians.

5. belonging exclusively to some person, group, or thing.

   the peculiar properties of a drug.

   Synonyms: unique, special, particular, personal, individual
   Antonyms: common

6. Astronomy.,  designating a star or galaxy with special properties that deviates from others of its spectral type or galaxy class.

noun

1. a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.

2. 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.

3. Also called arbitraries. British Printing.,  peculiars. special characters not generally included in standard type fonts, as phonetic symbols, mathematical symbols, etc.

peculiar

/ pɪˈkjuːlɪə /

adjective

1. strange or unusual; odd

   a peculiar individual

   a peculiar idea

2. distinct from others; special

3. belonging characteristically or exclusively (to)

   peculiar to North America

noun

1. Also called: arbitrary. printing a special sort, esp an accented letter

2. Church of England a church or parish that is exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose diocese it lies

Other Word Forms

• peculiarly adverb
• unpeculiar adjective
• unpeculiarly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of peculiar¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of peculiar¹

C15: from Latin pecūliāris concerning private property, from pecūlium, literally: property in cattle, from pecus cattle

Synonym Study

See strange.

Example Sentences

When the researchers compared their compositions to that of Earth, they noticed a peculiar "potassium isotopic anomaly."

Read more on Science Daily

But when I started making more money than I ever had before, something peculiar happened.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Because stars are fluid bodies, they can develop internal waves that can sometimes crash and extract energy from a planet's orbit in peculiar ways.

Read more on Science Daily

She studied history and French at the University of Manchester, writing a final year dissertation on peculiar uses of photography in 19th Century Paris.

Read more on BBC

With its slow pacing, shaky handheld cameras, dishwater cinematography and unnervingly extreme closeups, it feels more like an intense indie drama than a whimsical tale of a robber with a peculiar M.O.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• curious 
• eccentric 
• extraordinary 
• funny 
• idiosyncratic 
• offbeat 
• outlandish 
• quaint 
• singular 
• strange 
• unconventional 
• unusual 
• wacky 
• weird 
• wonderful