peculiarity
Americannoun
plural
peculiarities-
a trait, manner, characteristic, or habit that is odd or unusual.
- Synonyms:
- idiosyncrasy
-
oddity; singularity; eccentricity.
- Synonyms:
- irregularity
-
a distinguishing quality or characteristic.
-
the quality or condition of being peculiar.
noun
-
a strange or unusual habit or characteristic
-
a distinguishing trait, etc that is characteristic of a particular person; idiosyncrasy
-
the state or quality of being peculiar
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in 2023 has not removed all of the risks, and the collapse of the case was not a "one-off peculiarity created solely by outdated legislation".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
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.
