Main Entry: par·tic·u·lar·ism

Pronunciation: \pə(r)-ˈti-k(yə-)lə-ˌri-zəm also pär-\

Function: noun

Date: 1824

1 : exclusive or special devotion to a particular interest
2 : a political theory that each political group has a right to promote its own interests and especially independence without regard to the interests of larger groups
3 : a tendency to explain complex social phenomena in terms of a single causative factor

— par·tic·u·lar·ist \-rist\ noun or adjective

— par·tic·u·lar·is·tic \-ˌti-k(yə-)lə-ˈris-tik\ adjective