English Explanatory Dictionary

particular

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
  2. Specific; discrete; concrete.
  3. Specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing.
  4. Known only to an individual person or group; confidential.
  5. Distinguished in some way; special (often in negative constructions).
  6. Of a person, concerned with, or attentive to, details; fastidious.
  7. Concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; circumstantial; precise.
  8. Containing a part only; limited.
  9. Holding a particular estate.
  10. Forming a part of a genus; relatively limited in extension; affirmed or denied of a part of a subject.
noun
  1. A small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point.
  2. A person's own individual case.
  3. A particular case; an individual thing as opposed to a whole class. (Opposed to generals, universals.)

Pronunciation

/pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/ /pəˈtɪk.jə.lə/ /pɚˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/ en-us-particular.ogg /pɑrˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/ /pəˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Ajshul-particular.wav /pə(r).ʈɪ.kʊ.lər/ [pɜ(ː)(r).ʈɪ.k(j)ʊ.lɜ(r)]

Word forms

particular more particular most particular non-comparable perticular particulars

Etymology

From Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Equivalent to particle + -ar. Compare particle.

Synonyms

concrete discrete individual particular peculiar proper singular specific optimized specialistic minute precise fastidious anal-retentive choosy conscientious dainty exacting finical finicking finickity finicky finikin fussy hypercritical lily-handed meticulous niggly nitpickish nit-picky nitty overcritical overscrupulous pedantic pernickety persnickety picky accurate careful comprehensive solicitous exhaustive groundly in-depth intensive letter-perfect mindful polished painstaking punctilious rigorous root and branch scrupulous scrutinous sedulous strict thorough tight

Antonyms

general

Related words

universal for one's particular

Derived words

antiparticularism antiparticularist in particular monoparticular nanoparticular nonparticular overparticular particular average particular Church particular council particular integral particularisation particularism particularist particularity particularization particularize particularly particularness particulars unparticular bill of particulars London particular
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on P Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary