particular

1 of 2

adjective

par·tic·u·lar pər-ˈti-kyə-lər

pə-,

-k(ə-)lər

Synonyms of particular next

: of, relating to, or being a single person or thing

the particular person I had in mind

: of, relating to, or concerned with details

gave us a very particular account of the trip

: 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.

: being one unit or element among others

particular incidents in a story

: concerned over or attentive to details : meticulous

a very particular gardener

: nice in taste : fastidious

She's very particular about her clothes.

: hard to please : exacting

never loses patience even with the most particular customers

: denoting an individual member or subclass in logic

: 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

obsolete : partial

particular

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noun

: an individual fact, point, circumstance, or detail

a hero in every particular—

Ron Fimrite

: a specific item or detail of information

—usually used in plural

wanted to know all the particulars of the incidentbill of particulars

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

: a particular proposition in logic

Phrases

in particular

: in distinction from others : specifically

archaic : a separate part of a whole

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

Example Sentences

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

The researchers found that the number of individual animals making up a particular species provides no indication of the overall mass of that species. —

Jan Dönges, Scientific American, 8 Mar. 2023 In particular, there have been many intelligence community studies about what to do about open source. —

CBS News, 8 Mar. 2023 No matter what your brand’s target demographic is, moms in particular are a critical consumer group to consider. —

Erin Fabio, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023 The city’s warning asked building owners to look for cracking in the top beam, in particular. —

Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Mar. 2023 The recent resignations of two high-profile female leaders in particular have sparked discussion about the sexism and personal attacks female leaders often face. —

Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2023 Bourbon, in particular, has a rich American heritage. —

Damian Dovarganes, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2023 While Islam is the most dominant religion, Hindus still celebrate their holidays with pride — and for Holi in particular, the community gathers in temples to exchange greetings and enjoy colors. —

Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2023 The mid-size GV80 SUV, in particular, makes a stellar impression with its Bentley-esque styling and rich interior materials. —

Greg Fink, Car and Driver, 8 Mar. 2023

Noun

One fan in particular got some quality time with Willock in the hours before his death. —

Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 16 Jan. 2023 The observation has held up over the ages, and there’s no better time to be wary of it than at this particular... —

Joanna Stern, WSJ, 25 June 2020 Milken’s pardon in particular was backed by many longtime Trump allies. —

Author: Ellen Milligan, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Feb. 2020 Trade in soybeans and pork in particular has been hit hard as tensions have escalated between the world's two largest economies. —

Michelle Toh, CNN, 16 Jan. 2020 But many of the other particulars – whether to provide hand sanitizer, how to arrange the aisles, how to handle waiting in line -- falls to local businesses, to corporate executive, to individual shoppers across Alabama. —

Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 30 Apr. 2020 In typical Putin style, the particulars were left vague, to be decided later. —

Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2020 The particulars vary, but drivers often recount having received a ticket for an expired meter, despite paying for time with the Parkmobile app, which became a payment option for many of the city's parking meters in 2015. —

Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 24 Oct. 2019 With so much unknown about the particulars and the practicality of a season, there is no blueprint to even start talks between the league and the players. —

Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'particular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.