particular

adjective

par·tic·u·lar | \pər-ˈti-kyə-lər,

pə-, -k(ə-)lər\

Definition of particular

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2 : of, relating to, or concerned with details gave us a very particular account of the trip

3a : distinctive among other examples or cases of the same general category : notably unusual suffered from measles of particular severity This computer program will be of particular interest to teachers.

b : being one unit or element among others particular incidents in a story

4a : concerned over or attentive to details : meticulous a very particular gardener

b : nice in taste : fastidious She's very particular about her clothes.

c : hard to please : exacting never loses patience even with the most particular customers

5a : 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 obsolete : partial

particular

noun

Definition of particular (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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 incidentbill of particulars

2a : 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

3 archaic : a separate part of a whole

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about particular

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Choose the Right Synonym for particular

Adjective

circumstantial, minute, particular, detailed mean dealing with a matter fully and usually point by point. circumstantial implies fullness of detail that fixes something described in time and space. a circumstantial account of our visit minute implies close and searching attention to the smallest details. a minute examination of a fossil particular implies a precise attention to every detail. a particular description of the scene of the crime detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail. a detailed analysis of the event

special, especial, specific, particular, individual mean of or relating to one thing or class. special stresses having a quality, character, identity, or use of its own. special ingredients especial may add implications of preeminence or preference. a matter of especial importance specific implies a quality or character distinguishing a kind or a species. children with specific nutritional needs particular stresses the distinctness of something as an individual. a ballet step of particular difficulty individual implies unequivocal reference to one of a class or group. valued each individual opinion

Noun

item, detail, particular mean one of the distinct parts of a whole. item applies to each thing specified separately in a list or in a group of things that might be listed or enumerated. every item on the list detail applies to one of the small component parts of a larger whole such as a task, building, painting, narration, or process. leave the details to others particular stresses the smallness, singleness, and especially the concreteness of a detail or item. a description that included few particulars

Examples of particular in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Their method depends on the assumption — almost certainly erroneous — that workplace experiences don’t change over time, and that the way 21st-century workers feel about a particular kind of job is how their 20th-century predecessors felt. — Evan Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, "Work is getting better, especially for women," 14 July 2018 The inability to communicate, or to reach isolated areas of Puerto Rico, was a particular problem. — Arelis R. Hernandez, OrlandoSentinel.com, "FEMA admits failures in Puerto Rico disaster response, after-action report reveals," 13 July 2018 Two players in particular, varsity newcomers Carson Kosonovich and Donovan Perkins, caused the most heads to turn. — Steve Reaven, chicagotribune.com, "Carson Kosonovich, Donovan Perkins still shutting the door in New Trier secondary," 14 July 2018 Trump’s majority disapproval rating overall and on immigration in particular could drag support for detaining families indefinitely during an extended debate. — Scott Clement, Washington Post, "The public rejected Trump’s child-separation policy, but a majority supports his push to detain families until court hearings," 13 July 2018 Ross’ slider, in particular, was sharper on Thursday. — Kevin Acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tyson Ross gives Padres win in loss to Dodgers," 12 July 2018 The post-workout shot, in particular, was a nice kick thanks to the ginger and turmeric. — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE.com, "I Ate Like Supermodel Kate Upton for Three Days — and It Wasn’t That Hard," 12 July 2018 In particular, Princess Diana was a big fan of the annual event, as are Prince William and Duchess Kate. — Kara Thompson, Town & Country, "Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall Sat Courtside at Wimbledon Today," 11 July 2018 Evangelist Jerry Falwell, in particular, was not amused when Flynt published a satirical interview suggesting the preacher lost his virginity to his mother. — Cincinnati Enquirer, "Read more from this Project," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Hereditary’s mercy, however, is in the lingering question of the particulars of the dog’s fate. — Kelly Conaboy, The Cut, "Hereditary’s Single Bit of Mercy," 25 June 2018 Between trying to capture the particulars and getting to what the person is? — Ty Burr, BostonGlobe.com, "Joaquin Phoenix and Gus Van Sant discuss ‘Far on Foot’," 12 July 2018 The automaker is still negotiating the particulars of the deal, has not divulged which city will host this program, and being cagey on details like how many cars will make up the robo-fleet. — Jack Stewart, WIRED, "Mercedes Will Launch Self-Driving Taxis in California Next Year," 10 July 2018 While meal planning for these particulars may be harrowing, a single week of this clean eating can press reset on bad habits. — Elizabeth Inglese, Vogue, "Eat Like a Supermodel! 5 Healthy Food Plans Behind the World’s Best Bodies," 28 June 2018 The preschools are independently run by their owners, who determine the curriculum, daily schedule and other particulars. — Carolyn Said, SFChronicle.com, "Want to start a preschool at home? Wonderschool can help," 18 June 2018 By the time someone got around to it, so much time had passed that countless particulars were lost. — Mac Engel, star-telegram, "Soccer star's death recalls biggest U.S. win in World Cup history," 18 June 2018 While Amazon and Google have characterized their respective systems’ privacy components relatively thoroughly, with Apple erring on the side of sending relatively little voice data off of devices, Amazon’s particulars are less well known. — Glenn Fleishman, Fortune, "Senators Demand Answers From Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos About Alexa Mishap," 15 June 2018 Dumpling pro Ker Zhu of Mason’s Dumpling Shop walks us through the particularsChinese dumplings, or jaiozi, are a universe unto themselves. — Jean Trinh, Los Angeles Magazine, "Boiled, Steamed, or Pan Fried? A Guide to Chinese Dumplings," 5 June 2018

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