Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word peculiar institution. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word peculiar institution, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say peculiar institution in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word peculiar institution you have here. The definition of the word peculiar institution will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofpeculiar institution, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Map of the United States, c. 1861. Slave states in pink, with free states in blue.
Etymology
"Peculiar" here does not mean strange. It means "peculiar" (particular) to a certain area, in this case the Southern United States.
1855, Peter Randolph, Illustrations of the 'Peculiar Institution':
He became a great drunkard and a great gambler (vices intimately connected with the "peculiar institution,") and was obliged to give up his business.
2001, John C. Inscoe, Appalachians and Race, Introduction, page 3:
He documents the extensiveness of the peculiar institution's presence throughout the region and establishes a much more realistic context for the emergences of abolitionist sentiments and the various forms it took.
