idiosyncrasy

noun id·i·o·syn·cra·sy \ ˌi-dē-ə-ˈsiŋ-krə-sē \

|Updated on: 17 Jul 2018

Examples: idiosyncrasy in a Sentence

Definition of idiosyncrasy

plural idiosyncrasies

1 a : a peculiarity of constitution or temperament : an individualizing characteristic or quality

b : individual hypersensitiveness (as to a drug or food)

2 : characteristic peculiarity (as of temperament); broadly : eccentricity

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idiosyncratic

play \ˌi-dē-ō-(ˌ)sin-ˈkra-tik\ adjective

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idiosyncratically

play \ˌi-dē-ō-(ˌ)sin-ˈkra-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of idiosyncrasy in a Sentence

Her habit of using “like” in every sentence was just one of her idiosyncrasies.
The current system has a few idiosyncracies.

Recent Examples of idiosyncrasy from the Web

By the start of season two, GLOW’s cast has developed the sort of intimacy particular to those who are abruptly thrown together and tasked with creating art, all the while wading through one another’s idiosyncrasies and prejudices.

— rachel vorona cote, The New Republic, "In GLOW, Who Gets To Be Empowered?," 28 June 2018
Trudeau’s critics still love to complain about his cutesy idiosyncrasies: wearing flashy socks, for example, being frequently seen shirtless in public, or photo-bombing regular Canadians.

— selena ross, Washington Post, "Trudeau takes his turn as Trump’s principal antagonist, and Canadians rally around," 10 June 2018
Trudeau's critics still love to complain about his cutesy idiosyncrasies: wearing flashy socks, being seen shirtless in public, or photobombing regular Canadians.

— author: selena ross, Anchorage Daily News, "Trudeau takes his turn as Trump's principal antagonist, and Canadians rally around him," 10 June 2018
Along’s excellent third album, Frances Quinlan clearly put in the time to sharpen her storytelling and own the idiosyncrasies of her voice.

— billboard staff, Billboard, "The 50 Best Albums of 2018 (So Far): Critics' Picks," 5 June 2018
But the researchers account for these idiosyncrasies and naturally occurring lead from sources like volcanoes to create a timeline that just looks at the output from the smelters.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Greenland’s Ice Provides a Year-By-Year Account of the Roman Empire’s Economy," 16 May 2018
Only family and friends are invited, and the intimate setting reveals some idiosyncrasies of mixed martial arts that often go unseen and unheard.

— robert klemko, SI.com, "Greg Hardy, the UFC and the Limits of the Second Chance," 25 June 2018
He was also known for personal idiosyncrasies, such as confiscating neckties of employees, salespeople or customers.

— benjamin oreskes, latimes.com, "Essential California: The richest and the poorest in Congress," 6 Mar. 2018
Raccoons share such idiosyncrasies with humans as grabby forepaws, an affinity for the suburbs, and an inability to resist gorging themselves on what amounts to garbage.

— SFChronicle.com, "Last Word: The raccoon that rose above," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'idiosyncrasy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.