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Synonyms

peculiarity

American  
[pi-kyoo-lee-ar-i-tee, -kyool-yar-] / pɪˌkyʊ liˈær ɪ ti, -kyulˈyær- /

noun

plural

peculiarities
  1. a trait, manner, characteristic, or habit that is odd or unusual.

    Synonyms:
    idiosyncrasy
  2. oddity; singularity; eccentricity.

    Synonyms:
    irregularity
  3. a distinguishing quality or characteristic.

  4. the quality or condition of being peculiar.


peculiarity British  
/ pɪˌkjuːlɪˈærɪtɪ /

noun

  1. a strange or unusual habit or characteristic

  2. a distinguishing trait, etc that is characteristic of a particular person; idiosyncrasy

  3. the state or quality of being peculiar

"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

Related Words

See eccentricity. See feature.

Etymology

Origin of peculiarity

First recorded in 1600–10; from Late Latin pecūliāritās “private property, special care,” a derivative of pecūliāris peculiar + -itas -ity ( def. )

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.

Length isn’t the only peculiarity, though: As good natured as it is, “Happiness” is also fairly generic; one wonders if it would have been programmed if it weren’t an import.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

And it warned that legislation introduced in 2023 has not removed all of the risks, and the collapse of the case was not a "one-off peculiarity created solely by outdated legislation".

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

The case made global headlines because of the "peculiarity of the circumstances surrounding it", as one Australian newspaper noted in 1912.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2024

One peculiarity of American copyright law is the distinct terms for musical compositions and musical recordings.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2023

He had slipped into the race with such a light assignment by virtue of a peculiarity in the race’s weight system.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand