Main Entry:

¹par·tic·u·lar

Pronunciation:

\pə(r)-ˈti-kyə-lər, -k(ə-)lər\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English particuler, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin particularis, from Latin particula small part

Date:

14th century

1: of, relating to, or being a single person or thing <the particular person I had in mind>2obsolete : partial3: of, relating to, or concerned with details <gave us a very particular account of the trip>4 a: distinctive among other examples or cases of the same general category : notably unusual <suffered from measles of particular severity> b: being one unit or element among others <particular incidents in a story>5 a: denoting an individual member or subclass in logic b: affirming or denying a predicate to a part of the subject —used of a proposition in logic <“some men are wise” is a particular affirmative>6 a: concerned over or attentive to details : meticulous <a very particular gardener> b: nice in taste : fastidious c: hard to please : exacting

synonyms see circumstantial, special