particularity
noun
par·tic·u·lar·i·ty
pər-ˌti-kyə-ˈler-ə-tē 
pə-,
-ˈla-rə-,
also (ˌ)pär-
plural particularities
1
a
: a minute detail : particular
b
: an individual characteristic : peculiarity
also
: singularity
2
: the quality or state of being particular as distinguished from universal
3
a
: attentiveness to detail : exactness
b
: the quality or state of being fastidious in behavior or expression
Examples of particularity in a Sentence
The actors studied all of the particularities of the script.
the special particularities of the South
The particularities of the job take some time to get used to.
She described the scene with great particularity.
Recent Examples on the Web
In order to qualify, distributers need to present provisional distribution strategy and commit to a wide-release — with a flexible definition of that term, given territorial particularities — within a 12-month window following the close of each edition.
—
Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
The Gulf Coast is her home and her source: As with William Faulkner and Toni Morrison, great novelists with whom Ward is often compared, a commitment to evoking the particularities of place animates her work.
—Imani Perry, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Much of this variation sprang from the particularities of applicant tracking software.
—WIRED, 17 Oct. 2023
In so doing, the majority essentially creates a special rule for reverse-keyword warrants that collapses both parts of the Fourth Amendment’s particularity test into a test based solely on the description of the thing to be seized.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023
Unsurprisingly, the consequence of swapping the gender of the story’s protagonists is a more robust interest in women and pregnancy — the deliveries, miscarriages, the intense and intractable particularity of each patient’s reproductive situation.
—Alexandra Kleeman, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2023
Though Ward is frequently linked to Faulkner and Morrison, writers for whom narrative was also a function of place and the histories that attach to specific communities, the association has led critics to miss Ward’s particularity.
—Imani Perry, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Someone who understood this assignment particularity well?
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 June 2023
Yes, the series is an urban crime drama, and the Baltimore on the show represents corrupt cities across the country — but the city is unlike any other, too, and the show amplifies those particularities.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023
See More
Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
The Gulf Coast is her home and her source: As with William Faulkner and Toni Morrison, great novelists with whom Ward is often compared, a commitment to evoking the particularities of place animates her work.
—Imani Perry, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Much of this variation sprang from the particularities of applicant tracking software.
—WIRED, 17 Oct. 2023
In so doing, the majority essentially creates a special rule for reverse-keyword warrants that collapses both parts of the Fourth Amendment’s particularity test into a test based solely on the description of the thing to be seized.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023
Unsurprisingly, the consequence of swapping the gender of the story’s protagonists is a more robust interest in women and pregnancy — the deliveries, miscarriages, the intense and intractable particularity of each patient’s reproductive situation.
—Alexandra Kleeman, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2023
Though Ward is frequently linked to Faulkner and Morrison, writers for whom narrative was also a function of place and the histories that attach to specific communities, the association has led critics to miss Ward’s particularity.
—Imani Perry, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Someone who understood this assignment particularity well?
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 June 2023
Yes, the series is an urban crime drama, and the Baltimore on the show represents corrupt cities across the country — but the city is unlike any other, too, and the show amplifies those particularities.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'particularity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near particularity
Cite this Entry
“Particularity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/particularity. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
particularity
noun
par·tic·u·lar·i·ty
pə(r)-ˌtik-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē
plural particularities
More from Merriam-Webster on particularity
Britannica English: Translation of particularity for Arabic Speakers
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