particular

English

Alternative forms

• perticular (obsolete)

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.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/
• (non-rhotic) IPA^(key): /pəˈtɪk.jə.lə/
• (rhotic) IPA^(key): /pɚˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• (US, Canada, rhotic, r-dissimilation) IPA^(key): /pəˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/

  • Audio (CA)

    (file)

• Hyphenation: par‧tic‧u‧lar
• Rhymes: -ɪkjʊlə(ɹ)

Adjective

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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     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.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     or these domesticke and particular broiles, Are not the question heere.

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:

     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.
   • 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC:

     a particular tenant

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

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• “particular”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Noun

particular (plural particulars)

1. A small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point.
   • 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. , volume I, London: Benj 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.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 16, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book II, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:

     Since philosophy could never find any way for tranquillity that might be generally good, let every man in his particular seeke for it.

   • 1658, Henry Hammond, Whole Duty of Man:

     temporal blessings, whether such as concern the public […] or such as concern our particular

3. (now philosophy, chiefly in plural) A particular case; an individual thing as opposed to a whole class. (Opposed to generals, universals.)
   • 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

Related terms

• universal
• for one's particular

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin particulāris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central)
• IPA^(key): (Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencian)

Adjective

particular m or f (masculine and feminine plural particulars)

1. private
2. particular

Derived terms

• particularment

Noun

particular m (plural particulars)

1. individual
2. subject, matter, issue

Related terms

• partícula
• particularitat

Further reading

• “particular” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “particular”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “particular” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “particular” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin particulāris, corresponding to partícula +‎ -ar.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: par‧ti‧cu‧lar

Adjective

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)
   • 2003, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix] (Harry Potter; 5), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 400:

     Não devia estar num quarto particular?

     Shouldn't he be in a private room?

2. private (not belonging to the government)

   Synonym: privado

   Antonym: público

3. particular; specific

   Synonym: específico

4. particular; distinguished; exceptional

   Synonym: excepcional

Derived terms

• em particular

Related terms

• partícula

Romanian

Etymology

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

Adjective

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

1. private

Declension

Noun

particular m (plural particulari)

1. private person

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin particulāris.

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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

Related terms

Noun

particular m (plural particulares)

1. individual, private citizen

Further reading

• “particular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014