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.

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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

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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

Really, all of the peculiarities of the book serve to balance the scope and the tenderness and somehow suspend it all into mystery.

From Los Angeles Times

There, Erikson teased out the stealthy, almost sinister peculiarities of modern man-made hazards, like radioactivity and toxicity, and their special, traumatic effects.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the tantalizing peculiarities of the characters have been whittled down.

From Los Angeles Times

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

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2023 has not removed all of the risks, and the collapse of the case was not a "one-off peculiarity created solely by outdated legislation".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

Related Words

• distinctiveness
• eccentricity
• foible
• idiosyncrasy
• particularity
• quirk
• trait