particular

¹par·tic·u·lar

adjective \pə(r)-ˈti-kyə-lər, -k(ə-)lər\

Definition of PARTICULAR

1

: of, relating to, or being a single person or thing <the particular person I had in mind>

2

obsolete : partial

3

: 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

Examples of PARTICULAR

1. The computer program will be of particular interest to teachers.
2. Pay particular attention to the poet's choice of words.
3. Our teacher is very particular when it comes to punctuation.

Origin of PARTICULAR

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PARTICULAR

Synonyms

choosy (or choosey), dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, finicky, pernickety [chiefly British], persnickety, picky

Antonyms

undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy

Related Words

hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious; discerning, discriminating, selective; insightful, knowledgeable; captious, carping, caviling (or cavilling), critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical; careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous; queasy (also queazy), squeamish; peevish, petulant, prickly, touchy; niminy-piminy, prim, prissy

Near Antonyms

affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed; flexible, lax, loose; lenient, permissive; uncritical; indiscriminating, undiscriminating

See Synonym Discussion at circumstantial, special

Rhymes with PARTICULAR

acicular, articular, auricular, canicular, clavicular, curricular, cuticular, fascicular, follicular, funicular, lenticular, navicular, orbicular, ossicular, radicular, reticular, testicular, vehicular, ventricular, vermicular, versicular, vesicular

²particular

noun

Definition of PARTICULAR

1

archaic : a separate part of a whole

2

a : an individual fact, point, circumstance, or detail <a hero in every particular — Ron Fimrite>

b : a specific item or detail of information —usually used in plural <wanted to know all the particulars of the incident> <bill of particulars>

3

a : an individual or a specific subclass (as in logic) falling under some general concept or term

b : a particular proposition in logic

— in particular

: in distinction from others : specifically

Examples of PARTICULAR

1. They wanted to know the facts down to every particular.
2. <requested a bill of particulars for the care he received in the hospital>

First Known Use of PARTICULAR

15th century

Related to PARTICULAR

Synonyms

detail, item, point

Related Words

article, belonging, object, stuff, thing; characteristic, component, constituent, element, factor, feature, member; ingredient; division, particle, partition, piece, portion, section, segment

Near Antonyms

aggregate, composite, compound, conglomerate; entirety, sum, summation, total, totality, whole

See Synonym Discussion at item