particular

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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particular (comparative more particular, superlative most particular) (also non-comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
  2. Specific; discrete; concrete.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:specific
    Antonym: general
    I couldn't find the particular model you asked for, but I hope this one will do.
    We knew it was named after John Smith, but nobody knows which particular John Smith.
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:
      I could a tale unfold whose lightest word / Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, / Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, / Thy knotted and combined locks to part / And each particular hair to stand on end
  3. Specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing.
    Synonyms: optimized, specialistic
    I don't appreciate your particular brand of cynicism.
    • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Gardens”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
      wheresoever one plant draweth such a particular juice out of the earth
  4. (obsolete) Known only to an individual person or group; confidential.
  5. Distinguished in some way; special (often in negative constructions).
    My five favorite places are, in no particular order, New York, Chicago, Paris, San Francisco and London.
    I didn't have any particular interest in the book.
    He brought no particular news.
    She was the particular belle of the party.
  6. (comparable) Of a person, concerned with, or attentive to, details; fastidious.
    Synonyms: minute, precise, fastidious; see also Thesaurus:fastidious
    He is very particular about his food and if it isn't cooked to perfection he will send it back.
    These women are more particular about their appearance.
    • 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed‎[1]:
      There is a scraper as well as a mat, and Mrs. Challenger is most particular.
  7. Concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; circumstantial; precise.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:meticulous
    a full and particular account of an accident
  8. (law) Containing a part only; limited.
    a particular estate, or one precedent to an estate in remainder
  9. (law) Holding a particular estate.
  10. (logic) Forming a part of a genus; relatively limited in extension; affirmed or denied of a part of a subject.
    a particular proposition, opposed to "universal", e.g. (particular affirmative) "Some men are wise"; (particular negative) "Some men are not wise".

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Further reading

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Noun

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particular (plural particulars)

  1. A small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point. [from 15th c.]
    • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “Several Contrivances of the Author to Please the King and Queen. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page 259:
      I did not omit even our Sports and Paſtimes, or any other Particular which I thought might redound to the Honour of my Country.
  2. (obsolete) A person's own individual case. [16th–19th c.]
  3. (now philosophy, chiefly in plural) A particular case; an individual thing as opposed to a whole class. (Opposed to generals, universals.) [from 17th c.]
    • 1912, Bertrand Russel, The Problems of Philosophy, Chapter 9:
      When we examine common words, we find that, broadly speaking, proper names stand for particulars, while other substantives, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs stand for universals.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin particulāris.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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particular m or f (masculine and feminine plural particulars)

  1. private
  2. particular

Derived terms

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Noun

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particular m (plural particulars)

  1. individual
  2. subject, matter, issue
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Further reading

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Old Galician-Portuguese

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Etymology

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    Learned borrowing from Latin particulāris.

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /paɾtikuˈlaɾ/
    • Rhymes: -aɾ
    • Hyphenation: par‧ti‧cu‧lar

    Adjective

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    particular m or f (plural particulares)

    1. particular; specific

    Descendants

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    • Fala: particulal
    • Galician: particular
    • Portuguese: particular

    References

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    Portuguese

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    Etymology

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      Etymology tree
      Proto-Indo-European *perh₃-der.?
      Proto-Italic *partis
      Latin pars
      Proto-Indo-European *-lós
      Proto-Italic *-elos
      Latin -ulus
      Latin -culus
      Latin particula
      Proto-Italic *-ālis
      Latin -ālis
      Latin -āris
      Old Galician-Portuguese particular
      Portuguese particular

      Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese particular, borrowed from Latin particulāris, corresponding to partícula +‎ -ar.

      Pronunciation

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      • Hyphenation: par‧ti‧cu‧lar

      Adjective

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      particular m or f (plural particulares, comparable, comparative mais particular, superlative o mais particular or particularíssimo)

      1. private (concerning, accessible or belonging to an individual person or group)
      2. private (not belonging to the government)
        Synonym: privado
        Antonym: público
      3. particular; specific
        Synonym: específico
      4. particular; distinguished; exceptional
        Synonym: excepcional

      Derived terms

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      Descendants

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      Romanian

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      Etymology

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      Borrowed from Latin particularis or German partikular. By surface analysis, particulă +‎ -ar.

      Adjective

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      particular m or n (feminine singular particulară, masculine plural particulari, feminine and neuter plural particulare)

      1. private

      Declension

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      singular plural
      masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
      nominative/
      accusative       		indefinite particular particulară particulari particulare
      definite particularul particulara particularii particularele
      genitive/
      dative       		indefinite particular particulare particulari particulare
      definite particularului particularei particularilor particularelor

      Noun

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      particular m (plural particulari)

      1. private person

      Declension

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      singular plural
      indefinite definite indefinite definite
      nominative-accusative particular particularul particulari particularii
      genitive-dative particular particularului particulari particularilor
      vocative particularule particularilor

      Spanish

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      Etymology

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      Borrowed from Latin particulāris.

      Pronunciation

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      • IPA(key): /paɾtikuˈlaɾ/ [paɾ.t̪i.kuˈlaɾ]
      • Rhymes: -aɾ
      • Syllabification: par‧ti‧cu‧lar

      Adjective

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      particular m or f (masculine and feminine plural particulares)

      1. specific, particular
        Synonyms: concreto, específico
      2. peculiar, strange
        Synonyms: raro, extraño
      3. personal
        Synonym: personal
      4. private
        Synonym: privado

      Derived terms

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      Noun

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      particular m (plural particulares)

      1. individual, private citizen

      Further reading

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